Sensitivity to noise in a community sample: I. Measurement of psychiatric disorder and personality

Abstract

SynopsisA sample of 77 women of high and low noise sensitivity, living in areas of high and low exposure to aircraft noise drawn from the 1977 West London Survey, were interviewed in the community in 1980. Women of high, intermediate and low noise sensitivity in 1980 were compared for measures of psychiatric disorder, personality and reactivity to the other sensory stimuli. In addition, the noise sensitivity measures defining the three groups in 1980 were compared with further measures of noise sensitivity. High noise sensitive women exhibited significantly more psychiatric symptoms, higher neuroticism scores, and greater reactivity to other sensory stimuli than intermediate and low noise sensitive women.

The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

“…To assess perceived environmental sensitivity in the main analyses, an 11-item scale adapted from Stansfeld et al [34] was used. This list measures subjective sensitivity to various environmental agents/stressors such as noise, light, temperature, materials, scented detergents, smells in general, temperature changes, cold or warm environment and EMF (Cronbach's α = .82).…”

Genetic Component of Noise Sensitivity

“…Noise sensitivity is not merely synonymous with peripheral auditory acuity (Moreira & Bryan, 1972) and it has not been related to auditory threshold (Stansfeld, Clark, Turpin, et al, 1985). The evidence for a sensory component in noise sensitivity is weak.…”

“…Noise sensitivity is not merely synonymous with peripheral auditory acuity but it is a function of a more central process (Moreira & Bryan, 1972). It has not been related to either an auditory threshold (Stansfeld, Clark, Turpin, et al, 1985) or to auditory acuity (Ellermeier et al, 2001).…”

The Influence of Sensitivity for Road Traffic Noise on Residential Location: Does it Trigger a Process of Spatial Selection?

“…The association between noise sensitivity and noise exposure is consistently low ͑Job, 1988͒. Research showed that noise sensitivity is a major antecedent of noise annoyance ͑see Taylor 1984; Stansfeld et al, 1985;Stansfeld 1992, Job 1988Staples 1996;van Kamp et al, 2004͒. Job ͑1988͒ found noise sensitivity to explain 10.2% of the variation in noise annoyance reactions.…”

“…Job ͑1988͒ found noise sensitivity to explain 10.2% of the variation in noise annoyance reactions. Noise sensitivity is associated with health variables such as sleep disturbance ͑Ohr-strom, 1995͒ and psychological distress and psychiatric disorders ͑Stansfeld, 1992, Stansfeld et al, 1985Stansfeld et al, , 1993 Figure 1 presents a conceptual model of the role of noise and noise sensitivity in the process of moving. It shows the main reasons for moving and it illustrates that the process of moving is a multi-stage decision process ͑as already described by Rossi, 1955͒.…”