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The effects of traffic pollution on physical health is well known, but there is growing evidence that fumes can have a siginificant effect on our mental health too. Last year, a team from Kings College, London, found that people living on the most polluted streets were more likely to experience anxiety or depression, and new research from the team suggests that exposure might contribute to the course and severity of more serious mental illnes.

Dr Ioannis Bakolis,S enior Lecturer in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Kings College, explains more about the report. He says that this showed that those already living with mental health conditions were more likely to contact mental health services or be hospitalised, and that this could be caused by relatively small increases in chemicals such as particulates or nitrogen dioxide. He concludes by saying that if levels of air pollution could be cut, you could also see a cut in the people with mental health problems.

"Reducing air pollution could reduce mental health problems"

Photo: Congestion in Jakarta, Indonesia Credit: Getty Images

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