The study examined the long-term effects of children being exposed to air and noise pollution while in mother's womb, early childhood and teenage. New Delhi: Children exposed to air pollution could be at higher risk of experiencing mental health problems, including depression and psychosis, as youths, a new research has found. The study examined the long-term effects of children being exposed to air and noise pollution while in mother’s womb, early childhood and teenage.
The effects on three common mental health problems were analysed — anxiety, depression and psychosis, a mental state in which an individual loses touch with reality and can experience hallucinations. Researchers, led by those at the University of Bristol, UK, found that for every 0.72 micrograms per cubic metre increase in PM2.
5 pollutants in the air during pregnancy, the chances of experiencing psychosis increased by 11 per cent, while those of experiencing depression increased by 10 per cent. For the same exposure during childhood, the chances of psychosis were found to increase by 9 per cent. The findings are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.
“This is a major concern, because air pollution is now such a common exposure, and rates of mental health problems are increasing globally,” the study said. “Given that pollution is also a preventable exposure, interventions to reduce exposure, such as low emissions zones, could potentially improve mental healt.
