A recently published study has added evidence to the concern that air pollution might be linked with mental health conditions. However, it is still not clear if or how pollution might affect the human brain.

What has been discovered by the new study?

Researchers analyzed data from 1.4 million individuals in Denmark and 151 million individuals in the US and found a strong correlation between higher rates of major depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder with poor air quality. This suggests that there is a link, but does not necessarily prove, that these conditions are caused by pollution.

How strong is this link between those mental health conditions and pollution?

When the researchers examined US health insurance claims they discovered that the strong predictor of a bipolar disorder diagnosis was air quality – after ethnicity. Earlier studies uncovered a correlation in the UK between teenagers who reported psychotic experiences … read full article