A joint study carried out by researchers from the Hospital Clínica de Barcelona and the Biomedical Research Institute of Augustus Pi and Sunier (IDIBAPS), also in the Spanish city, showed a 5% increase in suicides caused by pollution and rising temperatures. Scientists say the cost could rise until 2050.
Climate change is a barrier to physical health and can cause as well as aggravate clinical conditions in every individual. However, the most recent study from the Hospital Clínica de Barcelona and IDIBAPS shows that mental health is also affected by climate change.
The results of the Catalan study were published in the journal World psychiatry, highlight the link between rising temperatures and pollution with a 5% increase in suicide rates. To the newspaper La AvangardiaBarcelona-based psychiatrist Joaquim Radua, one of the investigation’s authors, said the values demonstrated the need to “urgently advance global initiatives to combat climate change.”
For the investigation, scientists took into account cases of long-term exposure to toluene, a substance commonly found in paints, enamels, varnishes and other products. Tests have shown increased dementia and even cognitive impairment with frequent exposure to the materials.
Where you live can also affect values and mental health.
Michel de Prisco, a researcher at IDIBAPS, explained that contact with solvents of the same nature as toluene is preferable in less developed countries, since it is difficult to find other options. Because they are widely used, scientists estimate that “emissions of these pollutants will double by 2030, which is alarming given mental health,” the researcher said.
The study also shows that frequent exposure to pollution may increase the risk of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and cause postpartum depression.