Long-term PM2.5 exposure and depressive symptoms in China: A quasi-experimental study
Tao Xue, Tianjia Guan, Yixuan Zheng, Guannan Geng, Qiang Zhang, Yao Yao, Tong Zhu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: ) have been associated with mental disorder such as depression. Clean air policy (CAP, i.e., a series of emission-control actions) has been shown to reduce the public health burden of air pollutions. There were few studies on the health effects of CAP on mental health, particularly, in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We investigated the association between a stringent CAP and depressive symptoms among general adults in China. METHODS: was compared to that of aging, an established risk factor for depression. FINDINGS: concentration was associated with a 4.14% (95% CI: 0.41-8.00%) decrement in the depressive score. The estimate was similar to that from the mixed-effects model (3.63% [95% CI, 2.00-5.27%]). We also found improved air quality during 2011-2015 offset the negative impact from 5-years' aging. INTERPRETATION: The findings suggest that implementing CAP may improve mental wellbeing of adults in China and other LMICs.