Polluted air stresses the physical system which in turn leads to psychosomatic challenges leading to a spiral of issues particularly for young babies and people with weak systems shares Latika Narang, Founder and Managing Director, Aekum Integrated Healthcare
Robert Orben once said, “ There’s so much pollution in the air now, that if it weren’t for our lungs there’d be no place to put it all”. According to a shocking revelation by the World Health Organisation, an estimated 9 of every 10 people worldwide inhale polluted air, and exposure to polluted air is accountable for seven million deaths annually!
Recent studies have related antagonistic impacts of air pollution with respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurovascular sicknesses. Air toxins can likewise cause genuine neuro-cognitive impacts—extending from conduct varieties to neurodegenerative issue—that at last can affect psychological well-being.
Health conditions associated with exposure to common air pollutants have broadened to
include impacts on the brain such as anxiety, depression, cognitive deficits and dementia.
Mental issues, for example, depression affect an excess of 300 million individuals around the world; an ascent of >18 per cent was accounted for somewhere in the range of 2005 and 2015. Data from the World Health Survey crosswise over 60 nations show that 9.3 per cent-23 per cent of individuals have a chronic physical disease and depression. Globally and provincially, depression is the tenth driving reason for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). A DALY likens to one lost year of sound life. By 2030, depression is relied upon to be among the three chief reasons for DALYs.
Pollution should never be the price of prosperity. While studies globally are suggesting links between air pollution and an increased risk of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders, we are no longer in a position to ignore these problems.
In Delhi- NCR, recently because of the unbreathable air conditions, don’t you think the environment has a negative impact on the brains of the kids and the residents? Delhi-NCR air is said to be polluted even on good days. Now with the AQI soaring at an alarming 493 level, the mental health issue stats are bound to go up. People tend to be less productive on gloomy days, and the capital has become sad and gloomy because of the pollution.
We have reached a stage where schools and colleges are shut because the air outside is toxic. Of course, there is no clear evidence of pollution affecting mental health yet, but we are not far behind. A study by Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to examine short-term exposure to small particulate matter pollution and mental health effects in children, and found that pollution was linked to worsening mental health disorders just days after exposure. It adds to growing evidence that dirty air may be causing and worsening depression, anxiety and other mental health issues in children and teenagers.
In another shocking revelation, 11,000 scientists have declared climate emergency, and warned of an untold suffering. Pollution has a big part to play in the deteriorating climate conditions.
The discoveries have to be affirmed in different populaces, however they emphatically bolster the requirement for further research on the potential impact of surrounding air pollution on kid and pre-adult psychological wellness. Mental Health Matters! We need to take care of ourselves, and others.