Sick Building Syndrome: The Environmental and Psychological Causes

Ever felt that a particular place was making you sick? Ever experienced physical symptoms when in your home, work, or other environment, and weren't sure why? Well, perhaps you weren't imagining the issue. Sick building syndrome describes a complex, but documented, illness in which occupants of a particular building, or space within the building, report feeling "ill" when there (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). The complexity of this syndrome comes into play in because no specific illness can be identified, nor can a specific cause be found. When a specific environmental cause is found, the building is labeled a "sick" building, and the condition is called "building related illness" (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). However, just because no direct illnesses and building factors causing symptoms can be found, doesn't mean sick building syndrome (SBS) isn't a very real and very serious issue.

Environmental Factors

Professor Alan Hedge (1996) reported on indoor air quality as one specific reason why cases of SBS and building related illness (BRI) occur. As we can all attest to, the air quality around us can yield physical signs and symptoms of illness; from coughing, and tightness in the chest, to itchy and/or runny noses, and itchy eyes. When one individual reports that they are experiencing SBS symptoms, the legitimacy of the complaint may come into play. However, in many SBS cases, there are a significant number of complaints, and thus sick building investigations must get underway.

Biological contaminants like bacteria, mold, and pollen can be to blame, as can indoor or outdoor contaminants, and poor ventilation. The problem with SBS is that in many cases it is difficult to determine the factors causing the issue without a large scale investigation of the issue. This means big businesses will need enough incentive to do so.

The Environmental Protection Center (EPA) notes that indoor chemical contaminants can range from adhesives used around the building (especially in flooring), the carpeting itself, pesticides used in the building, cleaning agents, and office machine related toxins may cause symptoms seen in SBS sufferers (2010). They also note that outdoor contaminates like smoke and vehicle exhaust may enter the building and cause symptoms typically seen in SBS (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010).

Indoor and outdoor factors are harder to detect than biological factors that may be seen in ventilation systems, in the flooring, or even around the windows. To detect factors that may be coming in from indoor and outdoor sources, investigation and trial and error might be required in order to detect and alleviate the problem at hand.

Psychological Factors

Even more hard to detect in SBS are whether symptoms are based on factual biological evidence, or on psychology. Human psychology is quite complex, and a number of factors play into what we think and how we act. When considering cases of SBS where a number of people are reporting similar symptoms, it becomes relevant to discover whether the claims of illness are grounded, or whether they are based on psychological factors that need to be addressed.

The first evaluation to be made is whether the individual experiencing symptoms is experiencing them because they are focusing on them, or because they actually have an issue (Hedge,1996). For example, when you have a nose itch but don't want to scratch it, what do you think about? It seems near impossible to let it go and not scratch it. Furthermore, the suggestion that it is itchy may present you with the sensation that you have an itchy nose. It's the same sort of mentality involved in scratching your nose when a person around you does.

Additionally, it becomes relevant to discuss work conditions and a building's environment. Barring any environmental problem such as those discussed above, an individual affected by low-lighting, high-stress workload, or something similar may assume their ailments are caused by actual toxins in the environment (Hedge, 1996). While low-lighting may need to be fixed to promote workplace well-being, it does not make a building a "sick building," and thus does not qualify as an SBS symptom.

Furthermore, when one individual has a complaint, it is not uncommon for another person to feel they have the same thing. Think of being around an individual with a cold. How often have you come from work, shopping, or simply hanging out with a sick person and thought perhaps you were getting sick? Well, this exact phenomena can occur in SBS cases or perceived SBS cases. This exact is called mass psychogenic illness (MPI) and is defined as "the collective occurrence of a set of physical symptoms and related beliefs among two or more individuals in the absence of any identifiable pathogen" (Hedge, 1996). It is suggested that this sort of issue can come along when one or more individual suggests that there is an issue. This condition implies that there is an issue, but that a sick building may not be to blame.

While SBS can be spurned on by psychological issues, it is important to note that this disorder is most often brought on by a combination of environmental and psychological issues. Even in cases of MPI, it is still relevant to look into environmental issues that may be causing the complaints. It is also important to evaluate internal factors like work stress and anxiety, lighting, and availability of equipment to make work easier and more efficient. Even in cases where only psychological factors can be found, it seems there is an obvious problem that needs to be addressed in order to avoid a massive issue among workers. Furthermore, biological evaluations need to me made in order to address any irritants and contaminants that can poor affect worker health, both mental and physical.

References:

Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). Indoor Air Facts No. 4 (revised) Sick Building Syndrome.

Hedge, A. (1996). Addressing the Psychological Aspects of Indoor Air Quality. 1^st Asian Indoor Air Quality Seminar.