A series of growing pieces of evidence reveals the connection between how air pollution increases the risk of depression and anxiety. Read to better understand how the air we breathe is affecting our mental health.
How are air pollution and mental health connected?
For decades, we have known how the harmful pollutants in the air we breathe are affecting our physical health. However, these tiny particles also affect our brains, increasing stress hormones and inflation. This can potentially lead to several mental health challenges and dementia. Studies link short-term exposure to air pollution with the risk of anxiety or depression. The study published in JAMA Psychiatry examines the health information of almost 400,000 people in the UK. The decade-long study looks at where they lived at the start, air pollution data, lifestyle, and medical records.
After classifying participants based on their air pollution exposure levels, they found those exposed to very fewer levels were less likely to get a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. On the other hand, the group with the second highest levels of exposure saw a 15 percent increase in mental health issues. As per Marc Weisskopf, pollution is “looking more and more like a contributing force” to mental health issues. Weisskpof is an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. While Weisskopf was not involved with the study, he has conducted similar studies in the past.
More on the study:
Additionally, the study revealed men to be more susceptible to the harmful side effects of small particulate matter. Animal research also revealed similar results. While the exact level of the impact of air pollution on mental health is unclear, its prevalence across the population is clear. Several studies point towards a clear-cut connection between the two. “A lower dose of exposure but for a longer period can still make a difference and may hurt mental well-being. I think that’s the key message,” stated Xi Chen. Chen is a health economist from Yale University who researches the mental health toll of pollution across developing nations such as China and India. “You can try and limit it to some degree (through personal action). but it’s the kind of thing at the population level that needs regulatory action,” stated Weisskpof.