Arsenicosis: Is it a Protective or Predisposing Factor for Mental Illness?

Chronic arsenic poisoning (Arsenicosis) is a global health risk, and it has been reported to improve the fitness, especially in altitudinal sickness in therapeutic dose. Scarcity of systematic study on psychiatric co-morbidities in Arsenicosis motivated us to conduct this research. The aim of this study was to estimate the co-morbid psychiatric disorders in patients with arsenicosis and to examine whether natural arsenic exposure and toxicity is protective or detrimental for mental health.

Out of 1477 arsenicosis patients aged 18 to 65 years, 1169 were finally assessed after excluding those who were disinclined to participate or those who had any organ failure or prior psychiatric disorder in themselves or their first-degree relatives. We applied General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to screen psychiatric symptoms. Finally, 191 patients with BPRS score > 30 were structurally interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN).

Of the 1169 participants in our study, 18.99% of the arsenicosis patients had psychiatric ailments. Common psychiatric manifestations were depression (8.47%), mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (4.61%), adjustment disorder in the form of mixed anxiety and depressive reaction, and brief depressive reaction (2.22%), and suicidal attempts (1.53%).

Considering the higher prevalence of psychiatric ailments in arsenicosis compared to general population of the same territory, it is necessary to screen psychological disorders in them. Conducting studies with control groups to further evaluate the impact of arsenicosis on mental health is warranted.