Air pollution, depressive and anxiety disorders, and brain effects: A systematic review

Zundel, Clara G.; Ryan, Patrick; Brokamp, Cole; Heeter, Autumm; Huang, Yaoxian; Marusak, Hilary A.

doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2022.10.011

Cited by 56 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 240 publications

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“…Our study focuses on childhood exposure at ages 9-10 years old -a developmental period currently underrepresented in the literature. About 26% of studies on pollution-related mental health problems cover this age range, despite the high incidence of psychiatric diagnoses in early adolescence (Kessler et al, 2005;Solmi et al, 2022;Zundel et al, 2022). Yet, even among these studies focused on linking PM 2.5 and NO 2 exposure and emotional behaviors in youth have reported mixed findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is possible that our results represent an amalgamation of the unique effects of individual components of PM 2.5 (e.g., elemental carbon, silicon, lead), contributing to our counterintuitive findings. There is also a substantial body of literature quantifying the effects of prenatal air pollution exposure as well as acute exposure (i.e., days) effects on various mental health outcomes (Braithwaite et al, 2019;Zundel et al, 2022), which are not available in the ABCD study at this time. Moving forward, incorporating prenatal exposure as well as acute estimates could help elucidate potential nuances that exist in the timing of exposure on the emergence of symptomatology across adolescence as well as the prevalence of acute mental health crises (for review, see (Heo et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent evidence indicates that outdoor air pollution may contribute to increased risk for mental health conditions (Braithwaite et al, 2019;Zundel et al, 2022). A growing body of literature has associated ambient exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) with mental health disorder outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and aggression in children, as well as increased risk for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and delinquency problems (Forns et al, 2016;Margolis et al, 2016;Newman et al, 2013;Perera et al, 2014Perera et al, , 2018Thygesen et al, 2020;Yorifuji et al, 2016Yorifuji et al, , 2017.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A growing body of literature has associated ambient exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) with mental health disorder outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and aggression in children, as well as increased risk for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and delinquency problems (Forns et al, 2016;Margolis et al, 2016;Newman et al, 2013;Perera et al, 2014Perera et al, , 2018Thygesen et al, 2020;Yorifuji et al, 2016Yorifuji et al, , 2017. However, recent comprehensive reviews of how air pollution relates to anxiety and depression (Zundel et al, 2022) and on attention problems (Myhre et al, 2018) both highlight a number of inconsistencies and important knowledge gaps in the broader air pollution and mental health literature. For example, while the majority of studies found positive associations between air pollution exposure and anxiety and depression, 25% of studies did not find associations or reported mixed effects and fewer than 10% of all air pollution and internalizing behavior studies examined air pollution exposure during the susceptible window of childhood and adolescence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Air pollution and emotional behavior in adolescents across the U.S.

Campbell

Cotter

Bottenhorn

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Recent studies have linked air pollution to increased risk for behavioral problems during development, albeit with inconsistent findings. Additional longitudinal studies are needed that consider how emotional behaviors may be affected when exposure coincides with the transition to adolescence, a vulnerable time for developing mental health difficulties. This study examines how annual average PM2.5 and NO2 exposure at ages 9 to 10 years relates to internalizing and externalizing behaviors over a 2 year follow up period in a large, nationwide U.S. sample of participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Air pollution exposure was estimated based on the residential address of each participant using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Caregivers answered questions from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at baseline and annually for two follow up sessions for a total of 3 waves of data; from the CBCL we obtained scores on internalizing and externalizing problems plus 5 syndrome scales (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, and attention problems). Zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine both the main effect of age as well as the interaction of age with each pollutant on behavior while adjusting for various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Overall, the pollution effects moderated the main effects of age with higher levels of PM2.5 and NO2 leading to an even greater likelihood of having no behavioral problems (i.e., score of zero) with age over time, as well as fewer problems when problems are present as the child ages. Albeit this was on the order equal to or less than a 1 point change. Thus, one year of annual exposure at 9 to 10 years is linked with very small change in emotional behaviors in early adolescence, which may be of little clinical relevance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Air pollution and emotional behavior in adolescents across the U.S.

Campbell

Cotter

Bottenhorn

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Fkbp5 polymorphisms have been associated with a variety of human psychiatric ailments [ 73 ]. These data provide the link between air pollution and neural stress-mediated glucocorticoid changes and highlight the importance of neuroendocrine mechanisms in chronic neural diseases that have been recently linked to high air pollution levels [ 76 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute Ozone-Induced Transcriptional Changes in Markers of Oxidative Stress and Glucocorticoid Signaling in the Rat Hippocampus and Hypothalamus Are Sex-Specific

Valdez

Freeborn

Vulimiri

et al. 2023

IJMS

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Exposure to a prototypic air pollutant ozone (O3) has been associated with the activation of neuroendocrine stress response along with neural changes in oxidative stress (OS), inflammation, and Alzheimer’s disease-like pathologies in susceptible animal models. We hypothesized that neural oxidative and transcriptional changes induced by O3 in stress responsive regions are sex-dependent. Male and female adult Long–Evans rats were exposed to filtered air or O3 for two consecutive days (0.8 ppm, 4 h/day) and brain regions were flash-frozen. Activities of cerebellar OS parameters and mitochondrial complex I, II, and IV enzymes were assessed to confirm prior findings. We assessed transcriptional changes in hypothalamus (HYP) and hippocampus (HIP) for markers of OS, microglial activity and glucocorticoid signaling using qPCR. Although there were no O3 or sex-related differences in the cerebellar activities of OS and mitochondrial enzymes, the levels of protein carbonyls and complex II activities were higher in females regardless of O3. There were no statistical differences in baseline expression of genes related to OS (Cat, Dhcr24, Foxm1, Gpx1, Gss, Nfe2l2, Sod1) except for lower HYP Sod1 expression in air-exposed females than males, and higher HIP Gss expression in O3-exposed females relative to matched males. Microglial marker Aif1 expression was higher in O3-exposed females relative to males; O3 inhibited Itgam only in males. The expression of Bdnf in HIP and HYP was inhibited by O3 in both sexes. Genes related to glucocorticoid signaling (Fkbp4, Fkbp5, Hsp90aa1, Hspa4, nr3c1, nr3c2) showed sex-specific effects due to O3 exposure. Baseline expression of HIP Fkbp4 was higher in females relative to males. O3 inhibited Nr3c1 in female HIP and male HYP, but Nr3c2 was inhibited in male HYP. Fkbp4 expression was higher in O3-exposed females when compared to matched males, whereas Fkbp5 was expressed at higher levels in both brain regions of males and females. These results indicate that sex-specific brain region responses to O3 might, in part, be caused by OS and regulation of glucocorticoid signaling.

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The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations

Kirkbride,

Anglin,

Colman

et al. 2024

World Psychiatry

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People exposed to more unfavourable social circumstances are more vulnerable to poor mental health over their life course, in ways that are often determined by structural factors which generate and perpetuate intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and poor health. Addressing these challenges is an imperative matter of social justice. In this paper we provide a roadmap to address the social determinants that cause mental ill health. Relying as far as possible on high‐quality evidence, we first map out the literature that supports a causal link between social determinants and later mental health outcomes. Given the breadth of this topic, we focus on the most pervasive social determinants across the life course, and those that are common across major mental disorders. We draw primarily on the available evidence from the Global North, acknowledging that other global contexts will face both similar and unique sets of social determinants that will require equitable attention. Much of our evidence focuses on mental health in groups who are marginalized, and thus often exposed to a multitude of intersecting social risk factors. These groups include refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons, as well as ethnoracial minoritized groups; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) groups; and those living in poverty. We then introduce a preventive framework for conceptualizing the link between social determinants and mental health and disorder, which can guide much needed primary prevention strategies capable of reducing inequalities and improving population mental health. Following this, we provide a review of the evidence concerning candidate preventive strategies to intervene on social determinants of mental health. These interventions fall broadly within the scope of universal, selected and indicated primary prevention strategies, but we also briefly review important secondary and tertiary strategies to promote recovery in those with existing mental disorders. Finally, we provide seven key recommendations, framed around social justice, which constitute a roadmap for action in research, policy and public health. Adoption of these recommendations would provide an opportunity to advance efforts to intervene on modifiable social determinants that affect population mental health.

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Air pollution, depressive and anxiety disorders, and brain effects: A systematic review

Cited by 56 publications

References 240 publications

Air pollution and emotional behavior in adolescents across the U.S.

Air pollution and emotional behavior in adolescents across the U.S.

Acute Ozone-Induced Transcriptional Changes in Markers of Oxidative Stress and Glucocorticoid Signaling in the Rat Hippocampus and Hypothalamus Are Sex-Specific

The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations

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