Noise associated psychological disturbances among Workers in an Egyptian Electric Devices Factory

Abstract

Noise is a known environmental stressor; it is associated with a number of health problems, such as hearing loss, a poor quality of life, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, sleep disorders, annoyance, and psychiatric disorders. Poor sleep quality, depression and anxiety is reported among residents near airports; however there is a lack of evidence that occupational noise exposure can cause similar health problem as those of environmental noise exposure. The aim of the current study was to determine the association between noise exposure and some psychological disorders as anxiety, depression, and sleep quality among workers exposed to noise at an Egyptian electric device factory. Two hundred forty four workers were recruited from an electric device factory divided into 2 groups matched for age and sex (124 exposed to high noise and 120 exposed to low noise). The high noise exposed group was recruited from the compressors department which has a noise level ranging between (96-106 dB) and the low noise group was recruited from other departments with noise exposure below 85dB (stores, assembly & printing departments). Data was collected through an interview questionnaire from all workers included in the study (high and low noise groups) including personal history and occupational history. They were also interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Axis-I disorders (SCID-I) to diagnose both depression and anxiety where the severity of those diseases was assessed using Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) for the severity anxiety symptoms & Hamilton Depression rating scale (HDRS) for the severity Depression symptoms.