INDUCTION OF DEPRESSION BY EXPOSURE TO DAMP ...

Introduction
Damp buildings adversely affect occupant health (IOM, 2004; WHO, 2009). The
term “damp buildings” refers to those that have sustained past or present water damage
that was not properly mitigated and/or have elevated humidity levels. The type and
magnitude of symptoms experienced by occupants of damp buildings appear to depend
both on genetic susceptibility and environmental conditions. Symptoms can vary
significantly, and thus reported health effects vary greatly. The health effects that are
most strongly supported by studies include immediate IgE-mediated hypersensitivity
reactions, asthma, and other upper respiratory tract symptoms (IOM, 2004; WHO, 2009).
A few of the symptoms with less supporting evidence include lower respiratory tract
illnesses, fatigue, headache, and neuropsychiatric symptoms (IOM, 2004; WHO, 2009).
A recent study by Shenassa et al. (Shenassa et al., 2007) focused on reported
symptoms of depression by individuals exposed to damp buildings. The study controlled
for known mediators that induce depressive symptoms that would be relevant with damp
buildings, such as loss of control over one’s environment and the anxiety and depression
that accompanies recurring symptoms. The findings from this study suggested that
exposure to damp buildings, after controlling for other factors, may have a direct
pathological effect on humans, resulting in symptoms of depression. In addition to
depression, other neurological symptoms reported from damp building exposure include
short-term memory impairment, confusion, and inability to concentrate (Kilburn, 2003).
Evidence-supported hypotheses for the mechanisms leading to depressive-like
symptoms include dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis,
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