Investigating the relationship between the long-term exposure to air pollution and the frequency of depression in Shiraz during 2010-2017
Background: Exposure to environmental pollutants which have entered the atmosphere due to human and industrial activities results in harmful and unwanted effects on human health. The undesired effects of air pollution on mental disorders, mortality, and psychological disorders have been proven. D...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2021-02-01
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Series: | Environmental Health Engineering and Management |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://ehemj.com/article-1-713-en.html |
Summary: | Background: Exposure to environmental pollutants which have entered the atmosphere due to human
and industrial activities results in harmful and unwanted effects on human health. The undesired
effects of air pollution on mental disorders, mortality, and psychological disorders have been proven.
Depression is a common mental health problem in today’s societies which impacts the quality of life. The
objective of this study was to determine the relation between exposure to air pollution and frequency of
depression in Shiraz (Southern Iran).
Methods: Archived documents of 2658 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) from
a psychiatric university hospital were reviewed. The concentrations of five air pollutants including CO,
NO
X, O3, PM10, and NO2 were determined daily in two air quality monitory stations in downtown Shiraz
(Imam Hossein Square) and Kazeroon Gate. The data relevant to these five pollutants were gathered
every day for 83 months, from 2010 to 2017, and for more precision, the mean values were used. The
relationship between the concentration of each pollutant in the air and the number of patients referring
to hospital was determined using the Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
Results: There was a direct and significant relationship between all pollutants and the number of hospital
admissions in each month (P < 0.05) except for CO which did not show a significant relationship with
hospital admission due to depression (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated a positive relationship between air pollution and
depression. Of course, to prove this relationship, it is essential to conduct a number of studies with
appropriate methodology and design. |
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ISSN: | 2423-3765 2423-4311 |