Children exposed to higher levels of air pollutants are more likely to suffer from poor mental health during adulthood by the age of 18, a study published in the JAMA Open Network Journal reveals.
Multidecade research involving 2,000 children, all twins, born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995 connected increased levels of pollutants with the higher likelihood of developing mental illness symptoms later in life by assessing their mental health at age 18.
There is a link between exposure to nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM2.5) in childhood and the later development of anxiety disorders and depression. These pollutants are often emitted by engines, industry, farming, and even wood-burning stoves.
Study co-author Aaron Reuben, graduate in Clinical Psychology, stated: ‘Because harmful exposures are so widespread around the world, outdoor air pollutants could be a significant contributor to the global burden of psychiatric disease.’
The researchers connected participants’ exposure to airborne pollutants by using their home address and looking at pollution levels via a nationwide database. Family history of psychiatric disease was also examined, but the effect of air pollution was found to be a stronger factor.
Nearly one-quarter of the participants lived in areas with NOx levels exceeding the recommended World Health Organisation safe levels of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air.
Study co-author, Dr. Helen Fisher of King’s College London, commented: ‘While we might like to think of our towns and cities as green and open spaces, it is clear that there is a hidden danger that many will not have even considered.
‘This study has demonstrated that children growing up in our biggest cities face a greater risk of mental illness due to higher levels of traffic.’
Andy Bell, Deputy Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health thinktank, said: ‘We know from research that our mental health is determined by the lives we lead, the environments we’re in and our experiences from our early years onwards. A child’s mental health is influenced by many factors, including their home, school, community and neighbourhood.
‘We know that poverty, racism, trauma and exclusion are major risks to mental health. As today’s research shows, our physical environment matters too, and making places safer, cleaner and healthier to live in will have lifelong benefits.’
