Air pollutant exposure, especially to small particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and PM10, is associated with increased risk for suicide outcomes, new research suggested.
A meta-analysis and review of 45 studies showed that short-term exposure to PM10, long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide, and short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5 were all significantly linked to elevated risk for suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and death by suicide.
Although positive associations with these outcomes were observed for the air pollutants of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) and for noise pollution, they were not statistically significant, investigators noted, adding that evidence was inconclusive for water and light pollution.
Still, the findings “highlight the importance of considering environmental exposures as modifiable risk factors in suicide prevention,” Sophie Marie Jones, PhD, Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, and colleagues wrote.
The results were published online on September 15 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Overlooked Subject
While previous research has linked environmental pollutants to psychiatric illness, resea...