Environmental discomfort and geomagnetic field influence on psychological mood in Athens, Greece

Citation:

Nastos, P.T., Paliatsos, A.G., Tritakis, V.P. & Bergiannaki, A. Environmental discomfort and geomagnetic field influence on psychological mood in Athens, Greece. Indoor and Built Environment 15, 365-372 (2006). Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y3qk4efn

Abstract:

A multivariate analysis of 4797 cases of patients who were cured of their psychological symptoms and their notes filed by the psychiatric clinic of the Eginition Hospital in Athens, during the year 1994, has been done. The results of this analysis imply significant contribution of environmental variations, expressed by a discomfort index, in the aggravation of psychological symptoms like depression, sleep disturbances, anxiety, aggressiveness, etc. Moreover, geomagnetic field variations expressed by the international geomagnetic index (DST) manifest significant indications that they contribute to the aggravation of sleep disturbances. A clear seasonal variation, with a maximum around August and a minimum at the end of the year, appears in the environmental index, while a double oscillation with a period of about six months is obvious in the geomagnetic index. The same more or less seasonal variation was mirrored in most of the psychological symptoms we analysed in the present study. Β© 2006 SAGE Publications.

Notes:

Indoor Built Environ.Cited By (since 1996):5Export Date: 13 October 2014CODEN: IBENFCorrespondence Address: Nastos, P.T.; Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis GR 157 84, Athens, Greece; email: nastos@geol.uoa.grReferences: Buttner, K., (1938) Physikalische Bioklimatologie, , Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Leipzig; Lee, D., (1958) Proprioclimates of Man and Domestic Animals: Climatology Reviews of Research, pp. 102-124. , Arid Zone Research, Unesco X; Cena, M., Gregorczuck, M., Wojcik, G., An attempt to determine through formulae computation of biometeorological cooling power in Poland (1966) Roczniki Nauk Rolniczych, 199 D, pp. 137-148; Thomas, M.K., Humidex at Toronto, 16 (65), p. 5. , Met Branch Canada CDS; Thom, E., (1959) The Discomfort Index: Weatherwise, 12, pp. 57-60; Kawamura, R., Distribution of discomfort index in Japan in summer season (1965) J Met Res, 17 (7), pp. 460-466; Gregorczuck, M., Cena, M., Distribution of effective temperature over the surface of the earth (1967) Int J Biometeor, 11 (2), pp. 145-149; Dikaiakos, J., Nastos, P., The influence of wind speed field in the bioclimatic conditions in the Aegean Sea in summer (1987) Proc 1st Hellenic Geographical Congress, pp. 281-296. , Athens, 20-22 February in Greek; Katsouyanni, K., Trichopoulos, D., Zavitsanos, X., Touloumi, G., The 1987 Athens heat wave (1988) Lancet, 3, p. 573; Giles, B.D., Balafoutis, C.H., The Greek heat-waves of 1987 and 1988 (1990) Int J Climatol, 10, pp. 505-517; Matzarakis, A., Mayer, H., The extreme heat wave in Athens in July 1987 from the point of view of human biometeorology (1991) Atmos Environ, 25 B, pp. 203-211; Balafoutis, C., Estimation of summer thermal discomfort using a relative biometeorological index (1992) Proc 1st Hellenic Congress in Meteorology-Climatology-Atmos Phys, pp. 181-188. , in Greek; Tselepidaki, I.G., Asimakopoulos, D.N., Katsouyanni, K., Moustris, C., Touloumi, G., Pantazopoulou, A., The use of a complex thermohygrometric index in predicting adverse effects in Athens (1995) Int J Biometeor, 38, pp. 194-198; Bartzokas, A., Kassomenos, P., Petrakis, M., Celessides, C., The effect of meteorological and pollution parameters on the frequency of hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory problems in Athens (2004) Indoor Built Environ, 13, pp. 271-275; Panagiotakos, D.B., Chrysohoou, C., Pitsavos, C., Nastos, P., Anadiotis, A., Tendolouris, C., Stefanadis, C., Paliatsos, A., Climatological variations in daily hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes (2004) Int J Cardiology, 94 (2-3), pp. 229-233; Tanaka, M., Ohnaka, T., Yamazaki, S., Tochihara, Y., The effects of different vertical air temperatures on mental performance (1987) Am Ind Hyg Assoc J, 48 (5), pp. 494-498; Kay, R.W., Geomagnetic storms: Association with incidence of depression as measured by hospital admission (1994) Brit J Psychiat, 164, pp. 403-409; Hoppe, P., The physiological equivalent temperature - A universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment Int J Biometeorol, 43, pp. 71-75; Eastwood, M.R., Stiasny, S., Psychiatric disorder, hospital admission and season (1978) Arch Gen Psychiatry, 35, p. 59; Frangos, E., Athanassenas, G., Tsitourides, S., Psilolignos, P., Robos, A., Katsanou, N., Bulgaris, C., Seasonality of the episodes of recurrent affective psychoses. 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