Citation

Gładka A, Zatoński T, Rymaszewska J. Psiquiatr. Biol. (Barcelona, Spain) 2022; 29(2).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psiq.2022.100367

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Background and objectives: Certain air pollutants are associated with mental health conditions, like cognitive decline, depression and suicide. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between long-term exposure to airborne concentrations of particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2,), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and suicide rates, suicide attempts and suicide attempts among people with mental disorder.

METHODS: The data used covered the years 2013-2016 of 27 regions in Poland, came from the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, the Provincial Police Headquarters and the Central Statistical Office. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses had been performed.

RESULTS: Results of the study indicate that ozone is correlated with the rate of suicide attempts, the rate of total suicides and attempts at suicide attempts among people with mental disorder (r = 0.548, p < 0.001; r = 0.371, p < 0.01; r = 0.422, p < 0.01, respectively). Independent predictors of suicide attempts were high ozone concentration (β = 0.00216, p < 0.001), high feminisation and a small number of beneficiaries of environmental social welfare per 10,000 population. Completed suicide rate was associated with increased air concentrations of PM10 particulate matter (b = 0.0003, p = 0.001; β = 0.003, p < 0.001), a high number of employees and a high level of total pollutant emissions (β = 0.00027, p = 0.031). Finally, suicide attempts among people with psychiatric disorder were linked to high ozone concentration (b = 0.0005; p < 0.001; β = 0.0003; p = 0.004) and low SO2 concentration (b = − 0.0011; p < 0.001; β = − 0.0008; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: Air pollutions' impact on suicidality is comparable to some adverse demographic factors and it should be considered as a strong predictor for suicidal behaviour. © 2022

Language: en

Keywords

human; suicide; female; male; suicide attempt; unemployment; nurse; major clinical study; mental disease; controlled study; physician; disease association; psychiatric treatment; social welfare; air pollution; Note; nitrogen dioxide; ozone; salary; benzo[a]pyrene; particulate matter; feminization; particulate matter 2.5; air analysis; particulate matter 10; sulfur dioxide