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Air pollution may have more long-term effects on adolescents than expected. A new study in the UK found that adolescents exposed to pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, harmful particles and nitrogen dioxide, are more likely to experience psychotic episodes during of their adolescence.
People living in densely populated urban areas are at increased risk for clinical psychosis. This includes disorders such as schizophrenia. Before the new study, researchers had not yet started any long-term project exploring the relationship between air pollution and these mental disorders, although pollution is becoming a growing problem in urban areas.
Related: Air pollution kills Europeans at an alarming rate
The new study, published in Jama Psychiatry, examined more than 2,200 children in the UK and examined the link between air pollution and mental health. The study was conducted over a period of 18 years and included children from various socio-economic backgrounds and geographical locations. In over 92% of cases, the subjects tested reported a psychotic experience, such as intense paranoia or a heard voice.
"We found that psychotic experiences in adolescents were more common in urban areas," explained Joanne Newbury, one of the leading scientists in the study at King's College London.
Newbury added that they were unable to directly link the psychotic experiences of teenagers to the study with air pollution. Their findings, however, strongly suggest that these harmful chemicals are a contributing factor to the link between urban populations and psychosis.
It should be noted that the study took into account biological factors and scientists admitted that psychosocial mechanisms, such as stress, could also be at work.
By 2050, experts estimate that more than 70% of the world's population will live in cities. As more and more people are interested in urban areas, it is important to find out why urban dwellers are more susceptible to mental disorders. Although it is likely that multiple connections are established, the harmful gases and particulates that generally constitute air quality should not be ignored.
According to King's College London, scientists hope to launch more studies on the link between air pollution and psychosis, with long-term research being the focus.
+ Jama Psychiatry
Via EcoWatch and King's College London
Image via David Holt
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