ADVERTISEMENT
Air Pollution Associated With Increased Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents
Higher exposure to ozone from air pollution predicted steeper increases in depressive symptoms in adolescents over 4 years, according to a study published in Developmental Psychology.
Increased risk for negative physical health outcomes with ozone exposure has been well-documented, researchers pointed out, but its link with socioemotional health has not undergone much consideration. Ozone is a gas that is produced when pollutants from cars, power plants, and other sources react to sunlight.
“I think our findings really speak to the importance of considering air pollution’s impact on mental health in addition to physical health,” said lead researcher Erika Manczak, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Denver.
RELATED>>More Fruits, Vegetables Linked With Better Mental Health in Secondary School Students
The study included 213 adolescents, ages 9 to 13 years at baseline, from the San Francisco Bay Area. Among them, 57% were female and 53% were of minority race/ethnicity. Researchers compared participants’ mental health data over a 4-year period with ozone levels in their neighborhoods.
Increases in depressive symptoms over the 4 years analyzed were steeper among adolescents who lived in areas with relatively higher ozone levels, even though ozone levels were within state and national air quality standards, according to the study. Participant sex, age, race, household income, parental education, or neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics did not affect the finding.
“It was surprising that the average level of ozone was fairly low even in the communities with relatively higher ozone exposure,” Dr Manczak. “This really underscores the fact that even low levels of ozone exposure have potentially harmful effects.
Researchers pointed out that the findings are correlational and thus do not prove ozone exposure caused the increased depressive symptoms. Components of air pollution other than ozone could be a factor. Nevertheless, communities should consider strategies for reducing ozone exposure, such as holding youth sports indoors when necessary and limiting driving during peak hours of air pollution alerts. Investment in clean, renewable sources of energy could also help.
“I believe state and federal air quality standards should be stricter, and we should have tighter regulations on industries that contribute to pollution,” said Dr Manczak. “Our findings and other studies suggest that even low levels of ozone exposure can pose potentially serious risks to both physical and mental health.”
References
