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Road traffic noise, noise sensitivity and psychological disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Stephen A. Stansfeld ,
Dan S. Sharp ,
John Gallacher  and
Wolfgang Babisch
Stephen A. Stansfeld*
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, University College and Middlesex Hospital School of Medicine, London; Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit (South Wales), Cardiff; Institut für Wasser- und Lufthygiene des Bundesgesundheitsämtes, Berlin, Germany
Dan S. Sharp
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, University College and Middlesex Hospital School of Medicine, London; Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit (South Wales), Cardiff; Institut für Wasser- und Lufthygiene des Bundesgesundheitsämtes, Berlin, Germany
John Gallacher
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, University College and Middlesex Hospital School of Medicine, London; Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit (South Wales), Cardiff; Institut für Wasser- und Lufthygiene des Bundesgesundheitsämtes, Berlin, Germany
Wolfgang Babisch
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, University College and Middlesex Hospital School of Medicine, London; Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit (South Wales), Cardiff; Institut für Wasser- und Lufthygiene des Bundesgesundheitsämtes, Berlin, Germany
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Stephen A. Stansfeld, Academic Department of Psychiatry, University College and Middlesex Hospital School of Medicine, Wolfson Building, Riding House Street, London W1N 8AA.
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Synopsis

The relationship between traffic noise exposure and psychological morbidity was assessed using the population-based Caerphilly Collaborative Survey of 2398 men from Caerphilly, South Wales. The findings showed that traffic noise exposure levels were strongly associated with annoyance to noise. Noise-sensitive men were more likely to be highly annoyed by noise exposure than less noise-sensitive men. There was no direct association between noise exposure level and psychological morbidity but there were provocative interactions with noise sensitivity. The role of noise sensitivity is discussed as an indicator of vulnerability to environmental stressors and a measure of negative affectivity and over-reporting.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 4 , November 1993 , pp. 977 - 985
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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