Effects of toxic oil syndrome on the psychological conditions of the descendants of affected persons.
OBJECTIVE
In May 1981, the Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) affected over 20,000 people, in Spain, as a result of the ingestion of rapeseed oil that had been denatured with 2% aniline. Amongst many physical and organic problems, many patients in this cohort showed different degrees of anxiety and depression. It can be hypothesized that their children might well be susceptible to suffer from anxiety, depression and other psychological disturbances.


METHODS
Children with a father and/or mother included in the official TOS census, who were born between 1st January 1983 and 31st December 1989 and resided in Madrid (n. 420, response rate 84%), were compared against high-school children of TOS-free parents of the same age and similar socioeconomic status (n. 327).


METHODS
Spanish version of Goldberg and Hillier's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-60) and Cattell's High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ).


RESULTS
The only statistically significant difference between the two groups was the sleep disturbance factor of the GHQ-60 questionnaire. Significant differences were not observed in any of the personality factors (such as anxiety, depression, excitability and introversion) analysed by the HSPQ questionnaire when the exposed group was considered as a whole. However, in the replies to the HSPQ questionnaire, some statistically significant differences between exposed and non exposed children were detected in analyses carried out separately in each sex.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study tend to rule out any impairment of the mental health of children born from parents who had been TOS victims.
Almansa
Angela
A
Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio ae Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, Spain.
Borda
Ignacio Abaitua
IA
Abaitua
M Aránzazu
MA
Banegas
José R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D029741:Brassica rapa; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000506:poisoning*; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D013030:Spain
D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil