Air Pollution Worsening Kids’ Mental
Health?
Brain Bienkowski reports,
Cincinnati study finds fine particulate matter exposure linked to
increased psychiatric-related emergency room visits for kids. Children exposed
to high amounts of air pollution were more likely to end up in the emergency
room for a mental health problem a couple days later than children with lower
exposure, according to a new study. This adds to growing evidence that dirty
air may be causing and worsening depression, anxiety and other mental health
issues in children and teenagers. Researchers from the Cincinnati Children's
Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati examined 13,176
emergency room visit to the Medical Center by 6,812 children from 2011 to 2015
for psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder,
suicidality, personality disorders and schizophrenia.
ehn
Having personal experience of breathing difficulties, it can indeed be terrifying. For a child all the more so. Young children especially are still relying on a level of instinctive behavior, when the most basic of needs (see Maslow) is confounded, the impacts can be profound and long-lasting.
ReplyDeleteChika, that was a good article to read on particulate matter and the adverse health effects it has on children. Maybe vaccines aren't to blame on the increase in autism in children, maybe its the pollutants in the air they breathe.
ReplyDelete