Air and sound pollution during infancy may worsen teens' mental health

Researchers have found growing evidence linking air pollution exposure with various psychiatric disorders, and say air pollution early in life may be linked to mental health problems in teens. — Photos: dpa

AIR pollution and excessive noise could leave babies vulnerable to mental health struggles when they hit their teenage years, new research has shown.

Researchers led by Joanne Newbury of the University of Bristol found “early-life air and noise pollution exposure,” including before birth, to be “prospectively associated” with “psychotic experiences, depression, and anxiety” among adolescents and young adults.