Growing Evidence for the Impact of Air Pollution on Depression

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 9 of every 10 people worldwide inhale polluted air, and exposure to polluted air is accountable for 7 million deaths annually.1 Studies have associated the adverse effects of air pollution with respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurovascular diseases.2 Air pollutants can also cause serious neurocognitive effects—ranging from behavioral variations to neurodegenerative disorders—that ultimately can have devastating effects on mental health.3,4 WHO has taken the initiative to include mental health in the domain of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as mental health is a strong risk factor for NCDs.