Chronic occupational exposure to asbestos: more than medical effects?

One hundred and twenty-nine workers chronically exposed to asbestos were interviewed regarding their perceived health status and concerns, their health behaviors, particularly their smoking behavior, and their psychologic well-being. In contrast to a non-exposed comparison group of postal workers, asbestos workers exhibited significantly elevated levels of somatic concern (P less than .03), and significantly lower levels of mental health functioning only when experiencing high levels of stress (P less than .01). Despite feeling significantly more susceptible to developing cancer (P less than .0001), 34% of asbestos workers were cigarette smokers (compared to 32% of the postal group) and long-term mask usage was minimal. Asbestos workers' increased sensitivity to stress and changes in health status along with the lack of adaptation of health-promotive behaviors indicate the need for interventions to attend to the psychologic effects of increased risk status.