Plain language summary:

This study found that long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety. The study looked at nearly 400,000 people in the U.K. and found that exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and NO was associated with higher risk for depression and anxiety. Even at relatively low levels of exposure, all three pollutants were linked to depression and anxiety. The risks for depression and anxiety were higher in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure compared to the lowest quartile. The authors suggest that air pollution may increase mental health issues by causing inflammation and oxidative stress in the central nervous system.

So bad air makes people feel bad and potentially do bad things, sounds about right.

I have this weird theory that native Hawaiians had an understanding of pollutants and microbes as they referred to the first European visitors as haole, which translates to “without breath” and the concept of “breath” is like a universal life force and aloha translates like “sharing breath”.

So I imagine when native Hawaiians, who practiced sanitation and hygiene, saw visitors come off of a boat that was cramped, dark, dirty, and with poor sanitation, they inherently know that these sailors were covered in and breathing bad air/life force.

As someone living in an area that experiences annual wildfire and smoke season (around September usually, here in Seattle/WA) the smoke can get so bad and into hazardous levels. The air quality is so poor with extremely high PM2.5 levels it can’t truly make you feel inflamed and ill.

Fine, inhalable particulate matter (PM2.5) is the air pollutant of greatest concern to public health from wildfire smoke because it can travel deep into the lungs and may even enter the bloodstream.

Here’s an EPA article about wildfire smoke health concerns

I know even at moderate levels I feel a noticeable difference in my breathing, quality of sleep, hydration, fatigue, irritability, etc. Just makes me feel like garbage! Without preexisting conditions like asthma or anything. And you can tell the whole community seems…more impatient, “punchy,” sorta dazed, people coughing everywhere… Blows my mind how many people just carry on with their everyday routines and exert a lot of energy/do outdoor high intensity recreation/hike/bike etc. without any breathing protection. Even here in Seattle when COVID masking was so widespread. It’s like the concept of smoke is something you “see over there” or claiming kids are young and healthy (when they’re at higher risk of impacts due to not fully developed organs).

I LOATHE smoke season SO MUCH. 2020 Seattle was up with Portland with the worst AQ in the world. As was last September-October, nearly 2full months of bad smoke in the Seattle region. From a human caused fire in addition to several others burning. Horrifying, sickening, preventable.

Wildfire smoke is a public health risk. Alongside industry, vehicles, etc.

Could it be that this is a other correlation rather than causation? is, it's actually exposure to cities/industrialization and social dysfunction of capitalism that results in depression and anxiety?

Ever walk into a smelly washroom? Changes your personality in 1 second.

This is depressing news

Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Someone post this in r/LosAngeles

[removed]

I did not read the pdf but only the summary. There is a vast ravine separating correlation and causation.

The first thing that occurred to me is that people living in nice traffic free (therefore less pollutants) areas may have other reasons to be happy and not depressed compared to people living in areas of high traffic density and urban density.

well pepeople get anxious and drepress over evrery lil thing nowadays so yea why not air pollution