Psychological consequences of infestation of the dwelling unit

Am J Public Health. 1985 Nov;75(11):1303-7. doi: 10.2105/ajph.75.11.1303.

Abstract

Interview data from a three-wave panel study of the impact of the residential environment upon the psychological well-being of 337 minority women were used to examine the effects of household infestation upon self-reported depression, phobic anxiety, somatization, hostility, and anomia. The findings of cross-sectional and change analyses over the three waves of data point to a stable relationship between rat infestation and a single dimension of psychological well-being, somatization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anxiety
  • Cockroaches*
  • Connecticut
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Data Collection
  • Depression / etiology
  • Female
  • Housing*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Mice*
  • Minority Groups / psychology
  • Rats*
  • Stress, Psychological / etiology*