Environmental Pollution and Mental Health: A Crucial Intersection
Environmental pollution is a complex and pervasive issue with far-reaching impacts on human health, including mental well-being. Pollutants can exert both direct effects, such as genetic, gestational, and post-gestational interferences, and indirect effects by creating prolonged stress in degraded environments. These impacts contribute to the development of mental health disorders, encompassing psychogenic, endogenous, and exogenous disturbances. The long-term effects of pollution, often subtle and poorly understood, highlight the intricate interplay between environmental factors and human biology, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of its consequences. The Psychological Toll of Air Pollution Air pollution, a by-product of industrialization and urbanization, has pervasive health implications. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide are among the pollutants implicated in neuroinflammation ( Voorhees et al., 2017 ) oxidati...