The Association Between Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Mental Illness: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Sample of Canadians

Objective: The goal of the present study was to investigate the association between multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), MDD and GAD comorbidity (MDD+GAD), severe distress, and positive mental wellbeing.

Methods: This cross-sectional investigation was carried out using the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health Component. The study population consisted of 21,977 individuals aged 20 and older, from Canada's ten provinces. Odds ratios were computed using multinomial logistic regression to calculate estimates of the association between MCS and mental illness. All analyses were weighted to take into account the complex survey design.

Results: Individuals with MCS had 2.37 (1.55, 3.64) times greater odds of MDD, 3.09 (1.80, 5.30) times greater odds of MDD+GAD, and 2.60 (1.67, 4.07) times greater odds of severe distress. No association between MCS and GAD was observed. A sex difference was observed with males with MCS having lower odds of positive mental wellbeing, whereas no association was observed in females.

Conclusions: The present study findings supported an association between MCS and mental illness. The causal mechanism supporting this association remains unclear.