Every day we hear about new issues that are related to pollution. Whether it's climate change or global warming, things are declining for the environment and this can have an impact on our health as well. A new study has found that being exposed to air pollution can have major negative effects on children's mental health. In fact, it might even contribute to severe issues like depression, anxiety and multiple other mental health issues associated with adolescence.
A study was also able to find that when kids were exposed to ambient air pollution they felt more prone to psychiatric disorders a day or two days later. It was also found that children who lived in high-poverty areas were more prone to the effects of air pollution which is why mental disorders were more likely to occur in them. "This study is the first to show an association between daily outdoor air pollution levels and increased symptoms of psychiatric disorders, like anxiety and suicidality, in children," said an expert.
"More research is needed to confirm these findings, but it could lead to new prevention strategies for children experiencing symptoms related to a psychiatric disorder," he added. "The fact that children living in high poverty neighbourhoods experienced greater health effects of air pollution could mean that pollutant and neighbourhood stressors can have synergistic effects on psychiatric symptom severity and frequency," he said.
Another study also found a link between high traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and higher anxiety levels. Children who had been exposed to high levels of TRAP reported symptoms of depression and anxiety by the time they reached their teens. Such findings have also been found in adults, however, in children, it seems to be more evident. "Collectively, these studies contribute to the growing body of evidence that exposure to air pollution during early life and childhood may contribute to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems in adolescence," said one researcher.
This alone can prove just how bad pollution is for our health and it seems to have an even worse effect on children. Stay tuned for more updates.
