Exposure to air pollution linked to increased risk of hospitalisation for mental illness, study finds
People Environmental Would Picture: On Keogh Impact Restrictions Clare And Researchers Curb Of Care, Stricter The Said Millions Secondary The Benefit
Exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of hospital admission for mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.
The research, involving more than 200,000 people in Scotland, found an increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide in particular was associated with a higher number of people being admitted to hospital for behaviour disorders and mental illnesses.
Previously published research on the health effects of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution has tended to emphasise deaths rather than hospital admissions, and physical, rather than mental, ill health, the researchers said.
The study found air pollution was linked to increased risks of hospital admission for mental health, as well as physical illness.
Stricter environmental restrictions would benefit millions of people and curb the impact on secondary care, the researchers said.
Dr Mary Abed Al Ahad of the University of St Andrews, who led the study, said policies to tackle air pollution and a shift to renewable energy could help ease the burden on hospitals of people with both physical and mental illnesses in the long term.
The analysis of data tracked from Public Health Scotland examined four key pollutants between 2002 and 2017 and the impact of ambient air pollution.
In all, 202,237 people aged 17 and above were included in the research, which was published in the open access journal .
Their health and hospital admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious diseases, mental illnesses or behaviour disorders were tracked from Public Health Scotland data.
They were linked to levels of four pollutants from road traffic and industry: nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2); particulate matter diameter of at least 10μm (PM10); and small particulate matter of 2.5μm or less (PM2.5) per 1km2 in each person’s residential postcode.
Average cumulative exposure to air pollution was strongly associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, both for mental and physical illnesses. Higher cumulative exposure to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 was associated with a higher incidence of hospital admissions for all causes.