Air pollution is a significant issue around the world, with dense concentrations of pollutants leading to decreased visibility and increased temperatures. This situation can lead to many negative health outcomes, such as respiratory illnesses, cardiac diseases, and mental health disorders. Two notable negative mental health outcomes are major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety. These conditions are prevalent around the world, and they have the capacity to be exacerbated by pollution.
This paper examined various studies in the literature on the associations between air pollution and MDD and anxiety, the length of exposure to pollution and how it can affect health outcomes, and two biological-level mechanisms for the onset of MDD and anxiety. These studies incorporated questionnaires designed to assess MDD and anxiety symptom severity. Air pollution was measured using air monitors to determine the density of each pollutant. Various spatial analyses were performed to evaluate personal exposure to air pollution.
These studies all produced findings that were consistent with the idea that air pollution either leads to or exacerbates MDD and anxiety; however, further work is necessary to establish significant associations. The main pollutant in these studies was particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). Because of its microscopic size, PM2.5 can travel deep into the human body. These studies concluded that long-term exposure, past exposure, and childhood exposure lead to conditions of MDD and anxiety. In addition, MDD and anxiety mediated the relationship between air pollution and cognitive function, resulting in a decrease in cognitive function. Air purifiers were shown to reduce PM2.5 levels in the air that resulted in a decrease in glucocorticoids and catecholamines which are typically associated with anxiety. These findings suggest that mitigation efforts aimed at reducing air pollution can lessen the prevalence and intensity of MDD and anxiety.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/45575 |
| Date | 04 February 2023 |
| Creators | Kambhampati, Rohini |
| Contributors | Spencer, Jean L. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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