Noise, Air Pollution and Their Influence on Mental Disorders

A growing number of studies highlights the role of noise and air pollution as important environmental risk factors in cardiovascular diseases. However, it is less clear how noise and air pollution impact mental health. Current studies indicate that environmental noise (in particular traffic noise) and various components of air pollution (in particular particulate matter) can increase the risk of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. Pathophysiological mechanisms include close interactions between biological (such as oxidative stress and inflammation) and psychosocial factors (such as mental stress, subjective noise pollution and sensitivity). Environmental risk factors, such as noise and air pollution, can have a significant impact on mental health. Due to partly heterogeneous studies and limited availability of methodically high-quality longitudinal studies, further studies are of cardinal importance to understand the underlying mechanisms and to derive adequate preventive measures.