Evidence for a specific link between the personality trait of absorption and idiopathic environmental intolerance

Autoren

Michael Witthöft
Fred Rist
Josef Bailer

DOI

10.1080/15287390801985687

eISSN

1087-2620

ISSN

1528-7394

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11-12

Zeitschrift

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A

Sprache

en

Paginierung

795 - 802

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2008

Status

Published

Herausgeber

Informa UK Limited

Herausgeber URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390801985687

Datum der Datenerfassung

2019

Titel

Evidence for a Specific Link Between the Personality Trait of Absorption and Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

71

Datenquelle: Crossref

Abstract

Absorption as a personality trait refers to the predisposition to get deeply immersed in sensory (e.g., smells, sounds, pictures) or mystical experiences, that is, to experience altered states of consciousness. Absorption is markedly related to constructs openness to experiences, hypnotic suggestibility, imagination, and dissociation. Although absorption was hypothesized to be a risk factor for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), the construct has yet not been investigated in individually suffering from idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI), formerly better known as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). IEI is a complex condition marked by MUS, which patients attribute to various chemical substances that are typically detectable by their odor (e.g., exhaust emissions, cigarette smoke). The current study investigated whether IEI was related to the personality trait of absorption. In a longitudinal study, 54 subjects with IEI were compared to 44 subjects with a somatoform disorder (SFD), but without IEI, and 54 subjects with neither SFD nor IEI (control group, CG). Self-report measures of somatic symptoms, severity of IEI, and level of absorption were collected both at a first examination and 32 mo later. On both assessments, subjects with IEI and individuals with SFD reported similar highly elevated levels of MUS, compared to CG. In contrast to SFD, IEI was specifically related to elevated absorption scores. IEI was specifically associated with a tendency to experience self-altering states of consciousness. Since absorption is related to both openness to unusual experiences and elevated imaginative involvement, absorption might contribute to IEI via two routes by (1) enhancing the susceptibility for IEI-specific convictions and (2) fostering classical conditioning processes of MUS via enhanced cognitive-imaginative representations of assumed IEI triggers.

Addresses

Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany. witthoef@uni-mainz.de

Autoren

Michael Witthöft
Fred Rist
Josef Bailer

DOI

10.1080/15287390801985687

Externe Identifier

PubMed Identifier: 18569578

Open access

false

ISSN

1528-7394

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11-12

Zeitschrift

Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A

Schlüsselwörter

Humans
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Risk Factors
Longitudinal Studies
Prospective Studies
Attitude to Health
Attention
Somatoform Disorders

Sprache

eng

Medium

Print

Paginierung

795 - 802

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2008

Status

Published

Datum der Datenerfassung

2008

Titel

Evidence for a specific link between the personality trait of absorption and idiopathic environmental intolerance.

Sub types

Journal Article

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

71

Datenquelle: Europe PubMed Central

Abstract

Absorption as a personality trait refers to the predisposition to get deeply immersed in sensory (e.g., smells, sounds, pictures) or mystical experiences, that is, to experience altered states of consciousness. Absorption is markedly related to constructs openness to experiences, hypnotic suggestibility, imagination, and dissociation. Although absorption was hypothesized to be a risk factor for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), the construct has yet not been investigated in individually suffering from idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI), formerly better known as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). IEI is a complex condition marked by MUS, which patients attribute to various chemical substances that are typically detectable by their odor (e.g., exhaust emissions, cigarette smoke). The current study investigated whether IEI was related to the personality trait of absorption. In a longitudinal study, 54 subjects with IEI were compared to 44 subjects with a somatoform disorder (SFD), but without IEI, and 54 subjects with neither SFD nor IEI (control group, CG). Self-report measures of somatic symptoms, severity of IEI, and level of absorption were collected both at a first examination and 32 mo later. On both assessments, subjects with IEI and individuals with SFD reported similar highly elevated levels of MUS, compared to CG. In contrast to SFD, IEI was specifically related to elevated absorption scores. IEI was specifically associated with a tendency to experience self-altering states of consciousness. Since absorption is related to both openness to unusual experiences and elevated imaginative involvement, absorption might contribute to IEI via two routes by (1) enhancing the susceptibility for IEI-specific convictions and (2) fostering classical conditioning processes of MUS via enhanced cognitive-imaginative representations of assumed IEI triggers.

Autoren

Michael Witthöft
Fred Rist
Josef Bailer

Autoren-URL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18569578

DOI

10.1080/15287390801985687

ISSN

1528-7394

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11-12

Zeitschrift

J Toxicol Environ Health A

Schlüsselwörter

Attention
Attitude to Health
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Somatoform Disorders

Sprache

eng

Country

England

Paginierung

795 - 802

PII

793809672

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2008

Status

Published

Datum, an dem der Datensatz öffentlich gemacht wurde

2008

Titel

Evidence for a specific link between the personality trait of absorption and idiopathic environmental intolerance.

Sub types

Journal Article

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

71

Datenquelle: PubMed

Evidence for a specific link between the personality trait of absorption and idiopathic environmental intolerance

Werkzeuge