title: The environmental somatization syndrome.
abstract: Patients with environmental somatization syndrome (ESS) believe that their symptoms are caused by exposure to tangible components of the external environment or by ergonomic stress at work. ESS is distinguishable by mental contagiousness and by the patients' focus on the external environment as cause of the illness. The presentation is often polysymptomatic, and epidemic outbreaks may appear. The patients usually refuse alternative explanations of their symptoms and discredit and reject any suggestion of a psychogenic etiology. It is important to distinguish between hygienic problems and ESS problems, particularly when poor and inadequate hygienic factors are present simultaneously with an ESS epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Huddinge Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Göthe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Nilsson
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology