Clean Air, Clear Mind:
How Air Pollution, Poor Housing and Inequality Impact
In a recently published paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, researchers, led by Professor Kam Bhui at the University of Oxford, have highlighted a critical link between air pollution and mental illness. While we’ve long understood the risks posed by air pollution to physical health, the connection to mental well-being is only now gaining the attention it deserves. Despite this awareness, progress in understanding and addressing these impacts has been too slow.
In the context of climate change, the stakes are higher than ever. Air pollution, poor housing conditions, noise pollution, and other social determinants of illness disproportionately affect marginalised communities, amplifying rates of mental illness and contributing to premature mortality. The researchers urge a collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach to accelerate research and create effective solutions.
Let’s break down the key issues and explore how we can move forward with suggested…
