Risk of neuropsychiatric disability among painters in the United States.

Abstract

BRACKBILL RM, MAIZLlSH N, FISCHBACH T. Risk of neuropsychiatricdisabilityamong painters in the United States. Scand J Work Environ Health 1990;16:182-8. Scandinavianstudieshave suggested that working with solvents is associated with chronic neuropsychiatric disease. In the United States the Social SecurityAdministration's records of white male recipients of disability compensation were used in a case-referentstudy on this topic. The cases were defined as men with anyone of 'several neuropsychiatric diseases, and the referents as men with other disablingconditions. The men wereconsideredexposed if they had worked as a painter prior to disabilityand unexposed if they had worked as a bricklayer. A job-exposurematrix verifiedthe painters' potential exposureto solventsand the bricklayers' lack of potential exposure.The painters had a significantexcess of neuropsychiatric disability[adjusted odds ratio (OR)

Cohort mortality study of 57,000 painters and other union members: a 15 year update.

“…For suicide, there is some published evidence that painters have an increased rate of neuropsychiatric disorders. 25 In summary, the modest excesses of lung and bladder cancers that we have found among painters are consistent with an occupational aetiology and are consistent with the scientific literature. Confounding by smoking may play a part in these excesses, particularly for lung cancer which is highly related to smoking, but any such confounding is unlikely to completely explain these findings.…”

Epidemiological Update on Solvent Neurotoxicity

“…However, considering all of the disability pension studies and the study by Labrèche et al (1992), the combined evidence for such an effect is not consistent. Two disability pension studies showed no evidence of an increased risk of alcohol-related diagnoses among solvent-exposed workers (Lindström et al, 1984;van Vliet, 1989) and, in a third, the evidence was not very strong (Brackbill et al, 1990). Furthermore, no crosssectional study has reported interaction effects between alcohol consumption and solvent exposure.…”

“…Nine studies, including six case-referent studies and three cohort studies, on neuropsychiatric disability related to solvent exposure have been published (Axelson et al, 1976;Olsen and Sabroe, 1980;Mikkelsen, 1980;Lindström et al, 1984;Gubéran et al, 1989;van Vliet et al, 1989;Brackbill et al, 1990;Riise and Moen, 1990;Lundberg et al, 1992). They query whether the exposure effects observed in cross-sectional studies may become chronic and disabling.…”

“…A case-referent study from the United States (Brackbill et al, 1990) was based on a 20% sample of blue-collar workers who qualified for disability benefits during the periods 1969-1973 and 1975-1976 (3565 cases and 83,245 referents). A significant association was found between the painting occupation and neuropsychiatric diseases (all diagnostic entities); bricklayers were the nonexposed referents (OR, 1.4).…”

Self-reported symptoms and their effects on cognitive functioning in workers with past exposure to solvent-based glues: an 18-year follow-up

“…By contrast, Bleecker et al (1991) and Spurgeon et al (1992) found no indications of increased solvent-related symptoms in solvent-exposed subjects, while Morrow et al (2000) found increased incidences of anxiety and depressive disorders or depression in other solvent-exposed patients, and Condray et al (2000) report an increased prevalence of mood disorders among journeyman painters. Some studies have reported excessive risk for painters and other solvent-exposed workers of developing a psychiatric disorder leading to early retirement (Axelson et al 1976;Brackbill et al 1990, Hogstedt and Axelson 1986, Mikkelsen 1997. However, it remains unclear how exposure to organic solvents during the working life aVects general well-being later in life, after cessation of exposure.…”