Abstract
Despite the numerous clinical and environmental studies on multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), studies on other aspects, such as care and support in daily life, are lacking. The present study aims to provide useful information for the families of patients with MCS in terms of care or support for patients or when improvement regarding care is required. A questionnaire survey was conducted for patients with MCS and one member from their families. The contents of the questionnaire consisted of the current state of distress of patients and agreement and differences between them and their families concerning what causes the symptoms of MCS and perceptions about daily life. A relatively good agreement was noted on the cause of the appearance of symptoms. In contrast, the degree of agreement between the patients and family members about the thoughts regarding daily life was not always high. Although the response rate was low, and the generalizability of the results was problematic, the study obtained basic information on the coherence of cognition between patients and their family. However, continuing efforts to gather such basic information in the future is necessary.
