Constant Air Pollution Exposure is Associated to Future Depression

A study published online on February 10th in JAMA Network Open revealed that there is a link between prolonged exposure to polluted air and depression at an older age.

A study conducted by Xinye Qiu, Ph.D., and colleagues from the Harvard T.H. Chan College of Public Health in Boston investigated the association between damaged air exposure as well as late-onset depression in individuals aged 64 years and above. The study included 8,907,422 individuals observed from 2005 to 2016, and recorded 1,526,690 cases of late-onset depression.

The breakthrough  was that for every 5-unit increase in exposure to particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, there was a corresponding increase of 0.91%, 0.61%, and 2.13%, respectively, in the risk of developing mental health conditions, specifically depression. They also noted that the effect size of air pollution exposure on depression varied among different subpopulations based on coexisting conditions and community contextual histories.

“The authors of the study hope that their findings will encourage researchers to consider environmental hazards factors such as air pollution and living conditions when studying geriatric depression. They also emphasize the importance of comprehending and addressing mental healthcare services for older adults”.

Read the original article on Medical Xpress.

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