People Living in Polluted Area at Greater Risk of Poor Mental Wellbeing

Recent studies have proven that polluted air negatively affects the mental wellbeing of a person. Air pollution has been linked to reports of depression, increased stress, and lack of concentration. People living in areas with a high risk of pollution are advised to be mindful of their mental health.

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Air Pollution Linked to Low Mental Wellbeing 

From the recent findings, scientists have proven the possibility of mental health being affected due to pollution from the environment.

This research was led by the University of St Andrews and was meant to connect the dot between air pollution and poor mental health because of the increase in mental health cases from people living within polluted areas.

During the research, 4 types of air pollutants were examined, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and two types of particulate matter, those with diameters of less than 10 and 2.5µm (micrometers).

The result from the experiment showed the connection linking these air pollutants with people's complaints on the decrease in psychological wellbeing and stress.

Additionally, there was a decrease in the mental wellbeing of people from a Pakistani/Bangladeshi origin in comparison with British-White people, this was due to the increase in the sulfur-dioxide concentration and particulate matter within the environment.

Also Read: Scientists Claim that Prolonged Exposure to Air Pollution May Worsen Depression

Sources of Air Pollution

The air pollutants include nitrogen dioxide mostly produced from the exhaust pipe and therefore can be of a very concentration on busy roads.

It is a highly reactive gaseous air pollutant that primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel. 

Sulfur dioxide is a heavy, colorless, poisonous gas produced from industries and factories. It is a toxic gas responsible for the smell of burnt matches and at high concentrations, it can harm trees and plants while the particulate matter is produced from both sources which are factories and exhaust pipe.

When questioned on the results gotten from the study, Mary Abed Al Ahad from St Andrew's School of Geography and Sustainable Development, stated that the major summary of the study was that residing in places that are polluted makes one prone to mental wellbeing issues.

Measuring Mental Wellbeing Using GHQ12

Mary Abed Al Ahad said: "Our results cross disciplines to provide environmental health researchers and policymakers with the needed evidence towards reducing air pollution emissions to improve the individual's mental wellbeing and health," according to Phys.org.

Using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) scale, the UK household longitudinal study measured the psychological health of people living in polluted areas with some symptoms and concluded on its effects. The GHQ12 scale comprises of 12 questions regarding someone's experience of 12 symptoms linked to mental wellbeing.

The questions were composed for those suffering from poor mental health, and individuals are asked to rate the questions and their general wellbeing scores were then formulated.

 PLOS ONE is where the the paper is published and can be found online. 

Related Article: Air Pollution Causes 7 Million Deaths Yearly, Prompting WHO to Strengthen Guidelines

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