title: [Psychiatric, medical and environmental factors in patients suffering from environment-related disorders].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A multidisciplinary approach and a multi-modal methodology are needed to assess idiopathic environmental illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  61 patients took part in all diagnostic steps.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Basel pilot research project on environmental illness, a threefold diagnostic approach was established: patients had a medical and allergological examination, a psychiatric and psychological exploration and an environmental analysis of their homes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a clear psychological impact on environmental illness: 46 % of the symptoms could be traced back to psychological factors, and 18 % seemed to be influenced by them. Nevertheless, in 28 % more than one of the three dimensions was seen as important. Values within the self reporting questionnaires show high correspondence. Whereas patients and experts agree in many instances that there are psychological factors, they disagree in attributing clinical relevance to them. This discrepancy is helpful for explaining the difficulties therapists may encounter as to the patients' compliance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Environmental illness should be diagnosed and treated on an interdisciplinary basis including psychosomatic medicine.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huss
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bircher
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braun-Fahrländer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niederer
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwarzenbach
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wegmann
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Küchenhoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires