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Is Stress A Factor In 'Sick Building Syndrome' ?

Posted: 28/03/2006

According to researchers in London and Singapore, sick building syndrome may be a stress related disorder, rather than a fault of building design. UK researchers asked 4,000 civil servants from 44 buildings in London about their environment and job pressures and about symptoms such as coughs and tiredness. They found dry air and hot offices increased symptoms slightly but the most important factor was stress.

The research is printed in Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal. A similar study by the Singapore Ministry of the Environment produced similar findings.

The London researchers argue that many of the symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, respiratory problems, and unusual tiredness could be linked to work-related stress, rather than something wrong with the environment in the building.

The study found high job demands and low levels of support were linked with high symptom rates, especially for those with little decision-making power.

They used outside observers to assess civil servants' physical work environment by measuring factors such as temperature and light. The volunteers were also asked if they had any physical symptoms and about the demands of their job, including levels of support at work. Some 14% of men and 19% of women reported five or more symptoms associated with the syndrome.

The team found higher levels of symptoms in buildings with temperatures outside the recommended range, poor humidity, airborne bacteria and dust. But lower levels of symptoms were reported in buildings with poor air circulation, or unacceptable levels of carbon dioxide, noise or volatile organic compounds. Workers who could control their immediate environment by turning down heating or opening windows also reported fewer symptoms.

The study authors said: "Sick building syndrome may be wrongly named - raised symptoms reporting appears to be due less to poor physical conditions than to a working environment characterised by poor psychosocial conditions. "Our findings suggest that, in this sample of office based workers, physical attributes of buildings have a small influence on symptoms."

Co-author Dr Mai Stafford of the Epidemiology and Public Health department of University College London, said: "We are not making claims that buildings don't matter. There certainly could be buildings which do have physical properties that are very bad, but for the general workforce job stress and job demands seem to have a bigger impact".

The Singapore study examined the role of work-related psychosocial stress in sick building syndrome and tested the theory that in buildings with no recognized environmental problems, health complaints typical of the syndrome were primarily stress-related.

Data was gathered from confidential questionnaires to assess symptoms and perception of the physical and psychosocial environment among 2160 subjects in 67 offices. Working conditions were also inspected and indoor air quality monitored.

Researchers found more symptoms of sick building syndrome among office workers who reported high levels of physical and mental stress, and decreasing climate of co-operation. This association was confirmed after adjustment for personal and environmental exposure factors.

They concluded that stress was a significant and independent determinant of the health complaints, and that symptoms compatible with the sick building syndrome in many cases were stress-related, commenting, "Our findings underscore the importance of personal and organizational stress management to prevent ill health at the office".

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