Study: Air Pollution and Its Relationship to Mental Disorders

Air pollution is one of the most important climatic changes in the environment, impacting various living organisms, mainly humans.

Atmospheric pollution and depression:

A new study suggests that increased air pollution is associated with an increased risk of mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and personality disorders.

Details of the study:

The study included analysis of large data from two different countries, the United States and Denmark.

In the United States, researchers examined claims for compensation from over 151 million Americans and compared them to the patient's housing and level of contamination. The researchers found that the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was up 29% in the most polluted places.

In the Danish case, researchers have discovered that exposure of people during the first ten years of their lives to polluted air increases the risk of bipolar disorder by 29%, depression by 50%, schizophrenia and of personality disorders in middle-aged people.

It should be noted that the study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of psychiatric illness, but rather a correlation whose interpretation requires additional studies. However, this study provides further evidence of the importance of eliminating pollution to improve public health and prevent many diseases.