Communication problems with environment-related health disorders as illustrated by a multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) chatroom.
The problem of communication in treating multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) was analysed and evaluated using the documentation of an MCS chatroom which was set up in April 2001 following the TV programme Gesundheitsmagazin Praxis (Health Magazine: Practice). Approaches were developed for solving communication problems in the chatroom. A total of 490 cases were evaluated, most of which (355) were directly or indirectly affected, 76 came from self-help groups and 10 were from 4 guest experts invited by ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Second German TV channel). Of these 4 experts, 2 were environmental medicine specialists, 1 psychosomatics expert and 1 psychiatrist. Fourty-nine of the cases included a petition for chatroom participants to join a class-action law. Aside from exchanging basic information on MCS, frequent topics of discussion on the air were the assessment of physicians, clinics, self-help groups and experts. The participants also expressed their views on problems with society, politics, the economy, science and social security. Another common topic was communication in the chatroom itself, which for the most part consisted of sarcasm and insults, which were cause for conflicts in the chatroom. These communication problems led to the conclusion that a chatroom is not the best medium for discussing MCS. If a chatroom is to be used profitably to this end, it is imperative to have a well-defined organisational framework which allows the exchange of current, scientifically accurate information while keeping discussions from escalating and degenerating into arguments.