Increased incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders in persons with organic solvent exposure.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of current and past DSM-IV axis I psychiatric disorders is higher among persons with a history of exposure to organic solvents than among a demographically similar group of nonexposed control subjects. METHODS: Thirty-eight solvent-exposed subjects and 39 nonexposed healthy control subjects were evaluated for axis I disorder with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTS: A significantly higher number of solvent-exposed subjects (71%) met criteria for current DSM-IV axis I disorder in comparison with control subjects (10%). The most prevalent diagnosis in exposed subjects was within the anxiety and mood clusters, with a high percentage (36%) of exposed subjects meeting criteria for a dual diagnosis of mood and anxiety disorder. There were no differences between the groups in past psychiatric disorders or current or past substance abuse or dependence. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of past psychiatric disorders among solvent-exposed subjects are similar to those among normal control subjects, but the prevalence of current DSM-IV axis I psychiatric disorders is significantly higher among exposed subjects than among control subjects.