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Colton Doyle

Professor Hughes 

English Comp II

April 26, 2020

Negative Environmental Influence on Mental Health

42.5 million. That's how many Americans suffer from mental health issues. That

is more than the entire population of California. Mental illness is one of the most

prevalent health issues facing today's world. Mental illness can range from depression

and anxiety to eating and personality disorders. Mental illness does not discriminate, as

it affects people of all races, genders, and ages. The scariest part about mental illness

is that it can be caused by a wide variety of elements within your environment. Physical

aspects of a person’s environment, such as pollution, can negatively affect a person’s

mental health. A negative social environment, such as poverty, can also harm a

person’s mental health. As the conversation of mental illness grows so does the

awareness that poor mental health can affect everyone in a society. A person’s mental

health can be negatively affected if surrounded by a negative physical or social

environment.

Focusing on positive mental health has been a relatively recent addition to the

medical landscape. An emphasis on having good mental health has only been put in

place and endorsed by accredited organizations since around 1933, when the first

International Congress of Mental Hygiene met. (Mandell) This endorsement however

did not spread a normalization of mental illness, as poor treatments and prejudice still

affected the mentally ill for years to come. To this day organizations are continually
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fighting for the acceptance and treatment of mental illness. Mentally ill people have

been treated in a manner that could be considered barbaric to many all throughout

history. In the 1940s and 1950s lobotomy was considered a common procedure to

“cure” mentally ill patients with illnesses ranging from schizophrenia to depression.  The

lobotomy includes severing the connections in the prefrontal lobe of the patients brian

where the “bad behaviors were set,” according to physicians in the 1940’s (Lewis). This

would often leave patients with harsh side effects of vomiting, inability to control their

bladder and bowel, and many other negative effects. Due to the immense mistreatment

of the mentally ill, the normalization of mental illness was not spread. As a result,

research on mental illness and its contributing factors was not explored as extensively

as it is today. 

The people surrounding a person help to make up one aspect of a person’s

physical environment. Thus these people can negatively affect a person’s mental

health. One major way a person’s mental health can be negatively affected is through

physical abuse from others. Physical abuse is widespread, affecting nearly 10 million

men and women and 5 million children annually in the United States alone. (Social

Solutions) People who are physically abused often develop mental illnesses, such as

anxiety and depression. (“Effects of Abuse”) The effect on a person’s mental health

varies depending on the severity of the  physical abuse. According to “Effects of Abuse”,

“If abuse has been very severe, the victim may be traumatized, and may develop a

posttraumatic stress injury such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or acute

stress disorder.” Children are also majorly affected by physical abuse. Physical abuse at

a young age can result in anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. (Springer) Physical
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abuse of a child can affect a child’s mental well being for the rest of their life. Children

who were physically abused grow up into adults who are more likely to attempt suicide

and can develop personality disorders.(Springer) Physical abuse from a young age can

cause personality disorders such as narcissism or histrionic personality disorders.

(“Effects of Abuse”) Physical abuse can greatly impact a person’s mental health. If a

person is a part of an environment where they are being physically abused, they will

likely have their mental health negatively impacted. 

Pollution has become a major talking point among media pundits and politicians

over the past several decades;however, what is not often mentioned is the effects of

pollution on a person’s mental health. Pollution makes up a major aspect of a person’s

physical environment. Thus, pollution can have a major impact on a person’s mental

health. Pollution can cause a decline in cognitive capability. According to Kristen Weir,

“...researchers found that long-term exposure to high levels of the pollution significantly

worsened the women's cognitive decline, as measured by tests of cognitive skill.”

Pollution doesn't just affect women. Weir also cited another study on the effect of black

carbon on men. The men “...had reduced cognitive performance, equivalent to aging by

about two years…” (Weir 1)These are shocking results, as pollution has the ability to

shorten how long a person can think and understand. Pollution can also lead to mental

disorders. People that have been exposed to various air pollutants have shown to have

higher rates of depression. Air pollutants have also shown to increase usage of

psychiatric drugs among people affected. (King) In a study cited by Jacob King, nurses

who have been exposed to higher levels of air pollution were found to have,

“...significantly higher odds of ‘meaningfully high symptoms of anxiety’...”. Pollution does

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not only affect adults. Children can also have their mental health significantly harmed by

pollution. Children who had higher levels of pollution within their systems were found to

have lower scores in their memory, intelligence, and cognitive ability. (Weir) Pollution

can cause neuroinflammation which can result in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s

disease. (Weir) Pollution poses a serious problem to the mental health of people. It is a

physical part of our environment that negatively affects men and women, regardless of

age. 

One of the most widespread negative physical environmental factors is

substance abuse. Over 13.6 million adults aged 26 or older suffered from substance

abuse in 2017. 13.6 million adults in the United States alone. (Thomas). Substance

abuse can greatly harm the mental health of abusers. 50 percent of people who suffer

from mental illness also suffer from substance abuse. (National Institute of Drug Abuse)

This shows a large correlation between substance abuse and mental illness. Substance

abuse coincides with many mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD,

and borderline personality disorder. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) Substance abuse

can not only cause mental disorders, but it can also increase the severity of mental

disorder symptoms. (Smith) Another effect of substance abuse is that it can often alter

the usefulness of medication intended to treat a mental disorder. (Smith) This drug

interaction makes the medication far less effective at treating the mental disorder. Not

only is a person’s symptoms worsened due to substance abuse, but the treatment

intended to help them deal with the mental disorder is diminished. Substance abuse

also can have a negative impact on the development of an adolescent’s brain. Drug and

alcohol abuse in adolescents can result in brain abnormalities. These abnormalities

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cause changes in the adolescent’s cognitive ability. (Jacobus) This impact on the mind

of an adolescent can greatly harm their brain development and lead to mental health

issues as they grow into adults. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) Substance abuse is a

serious physical factor that can result in grave mental health issues. 

In one's physical environment something as simple and small as the aesthetics of

their house can affect their mental health. In an article published by Macanta Interiors

the author talks of the effect that colors can have on a mood. As an example, red is

linked to invoking hostility and rage while blues and lavenders can give a sense of calm.

In addition to color, the style of one’s home also affects mental health. Styles that are

proven to alleviate stress normally involve windows and open areas that have a lot of

natural lighting to encourage engagement, whereas, the opposite of the spectrum is an

area that has a lot of harsh lighting and not many windows. This philosophy is also

applied to clutter around a home. Messy surroundings can create stress and negative

emotions. This stress can perpetuate depression, and a side effect of depression is

lethargicness, therefore continuing the cycle. (Danielle) A messy environment, while it

seems trivial, can be a root cause of mental illness. The brain's chemistry takes the

physical clutter and creates a mental space that emulates that same environment that it

experiences. Style and mess are just one of many ways an environment can contribute

to mental illness. 

The social relationships within an environment are another large factor that

contribute to mental health. Personal relationships are one of the most researched

aspects of the environment and how it relates to mental illness. Personal relationships

are researched so extensively because if an individual lacks personal relationship in

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their home or surroundings they are left without a sense of belonging and acceptance.

In all societies, even in the animal kingdom, the society depends on relationships to

function. Human dependence on relationships is displayed in the interdependence that

individuals have on each other to provide, whether it is crops from farmers or love and

affection form a guardian. The personal relationships in an environment lead to the

development of a person's whole self and a poor relationship in that circumstance can

lead to an inability to connect to others, leading to depression and other mental

illnesses.

In the scholarly article, Parent-Child Relationships in Early Childhood and

Development of Anxiety and Depression written by Jennifer L. Hudson, Ph.D., the

effects of poor relationship development are explored. According to a study mentioned

in the article, a parenting style that inflicts fearful or avoidant behavior will be more likely

to lead a child down a path of emotional health issues in their lifetime. A more common

parenting style that can go more unseen is having an overtly critical mentality towards

your children. In the same study, it was found that children who were exposed to

parents that undermined their emotions have an increased sensitivity to emotional

health issues in their childhood and beyond. This is a contributing factor to 20% of youth

having mental illness and the continuation of generations of people dealing with mental

illness simply because of actions taken by their parents. The article concludes with

saying that, “parenting has a small but significant impact on the impact of anxiety and

depression in young children.”

An impoverished social environment can lead to a multitude of mental health

illnesses. Poverty impacts millions of Americans coast to coast. How has poverty
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impacted the mental health and well-being of people? Not surprisingly, people who live

in poverty suffer greatly from mental illness. The SAMHSA found that 9.8 million

Americans suffer from a serious mental illness. Of those 9.8 million people, 25 percent

live below the poverty line. (Gonzalez) Poverty can cause a multitude of mental

disorders. These include depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. (Simon) According

to Matt Gonzales, “...poverty creates a mental burden comparable to losing 13 IQ

points.” For a person to pull themselves out of poverty is a daunting and difficult task.

However, for someone to work their way back above the poverty line with a mental

illness is exponentially more difficult. This leaves the person vulnerable to remaining in

an impoverished environment, allowing their mental illness symptoms to worsen. The

poor state within impoverished neighborhoods prevents people from creating key social

ties within their community. This can lead to severe loneliness. People who are living in

poverty have no one to turn to and, in effect, are left to fend for themselves. Children

living in an impoverished social environment are put in great risk of developing a mental

illness. They have an increased chance of remaining in impoverished social

environments in which their parents or guardians currently find themselves. Childhood

poverty can result in depression, anxiety, low academic results, and delinquency.

(Simon) As a result of being born into poverty, children are set up to remain in poverty

because of the higher chance to develop a mental illness. These impoverished children

have a lower chance of success in life. A cycle of mental illness is created within these

impoverished social environments that is difficult to break.

A prevalent cause of mental health issues from a person’s social environment is

racism. Racism is an issue that has plagued the United States for years. It continues to
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be a concern for millions of minorities across the nation. There have been many links

between mental illness and racism. For example, African Americans' chances of

developing a mental illness is 20 percent higher than the rest of the population. (Truong)

Racism can not only directly cause mental health issues, but it can also create negative

environments. These negative environments help to create even more mental health

issues within minority communities. According to Alison Faulkner, “...Black Caribbean

and Black British children are more likely to experience school exclusion, which is linked

to mental health problems, substance misuse...” This is an example of how racism can

cause negative environments. As a result of being barred from schools, black

Caribbean and British children are set up to not succeed in life. They are more likely to

become substance abusers, which can lead to further mental health problems. The

black community is not the only minority group that is affected by mental illness caused

by racism. Latino Americans disproportionately do not receive the proper treatment

needed to treat mental illness and Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek

help for mental illness than White Americans. (Truong) Racism is severely affecting the

mental health of millions of minorities. The discrimination can directly lead to mental

illness. Additionally, racist decisions by others cause harm to a minorities physical and

social environment which in turn can lead to mental health issues. 

Mental health issues caused by a negative environment found in adults usually

trace back to a person's youth. America’s children and teens are always in the spotlight

of the mental health conversation, and this is because there are many challenges of

being a teenager that affect health. However, poor mental health can start to

accumulate at a very young age. This is because when a person is younger, their mind
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is much more malleable and vulnerable to trauma from their own environment. A person

is most vulnerable between the ages of 5 and 8. (Alton) “...bad experiences can become

biologically embedded in the brains of young children and leave markers that are still

observable decades later.” (Alton) The social and physical environments of children

must be closely monitored and maintained in order to prevent environment caused

mental health disorders. 

Mental illness affects society as a whole due to the interdependence of a

community. Each year, roughly $200 billion is lost because of lost jobs or mental

institutions. (“15 Mental Health Facts You Should Know”) Also, according to an article

published by USC 50.50% of Americans who suffer from some form of addiction, like

alcoholism, also suffer from a mental illness that perpetuates the behavior. The influx of

addicts based on mental illness attributes to the way a society can function. In different

socio demographics it is observed that areas that are not as popular or are labeled as

“rough” most of the time have higher rates of addiction. This unideal environment

continues the cycle of mental illness in areas.  

Some argue that people suffering from mental illness should just “get over it”.

Another common statement is that people who are suffering should “toughen up”.

Gestures such as these often, but not always, come from people from older

generations. These gestures are not only insensitive to the person suffering from mental

illness, but also unhelpful and counterproductive. When a person suggests that a victim

of mental illness should “toughen up”, they are shifting the blame from the mental illness

to the victim. The victim internalizes the mental illness. They will be less likely to speak

out about their mental illness. If mental illness goes uncared for or untreated, severe
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consequences can ensue. A person’s mental illness symptoms can be dramatically

worsened. Additionally, a person can experience bodily pain and damage. This is

caused as a result of the body unsuccessfully attempting to deal with the severe mental

illness. (Young) If a victim of mental health issues goes too long without proper

treatment or support, it can result in suicidal thoughts or actions. (Young) The notion

that placing the blame on a victim of mental health issues will help said victim is

ludicrous. It can result in greater harm done to the victim. 

If a person is surrounded by a negative physical or social environment, mental

illness can occur. Physical abuse affects millions of children and adults annually and in

severe cases can cause PTSD. Pollution can greatly accelerate the deterioration of a

person's cognitive ability. Substance abuse often slows treatment methods and can

aggravate mental illness symptoms. Even some colors or scents in a person’s

environment can affect a person’s mind. A lack of social connections with important

people in one’s social environment like parents can lead to an increased chance of

mental illness. Poverty leaves people and their children trapped in a cycle of mental

illness. Racism both causes mental illness and harms a person’s environments. All of

these are major environmental factors that may cause mental illness. A mental illness

that cannot just be “gotten over”. These environmental factors cause mental illness that

must be properly treated with the support of others. In order to prevent mental illness,

society must improve the physical and social environments people find themselves in. It

is not the fault of the victims, but it is the fault of the negative environment. Only by

improving the environments of people, will communities be able to beat the mental

health crisis that our world faces today.

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Works Cited

“15 Mental Health Facts You Should Know.” USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of

Social Work, www.dworakpeck.usc.edu/news/15-mental-health-facts-you-should-

know.

Danielle. “How Interior Design Affects Your Health.” Macanta, 3 May 2019,

www.macantainteriors.com/2019/05/03/how-interior-design-affects-health/

"Effects of Abuse". “Effects of Abuse.” Mental Help Effects of Abuse Comments, 2019,

www.mentalhelp.net/abuse/effects-of/.

 Faulkner, Alison. “The Impact of Racism on Mental Health.” National Elf Service, 12 Apr.

2019, www.nationalelfservice.net/populations-and-settings/black-and-minority-

ethnic/racism-mental-health/.

Gonzales, Matt. “Mental Illness and Poverty.” The Recovery Village, 11 Sept. 2019,

www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/related/mental-illness-and-

poverty/#gref.

Hudson, Jennifer. “Anxiety and Depression: Parent-Child Relationships in Early

Childhood and Development of Anxiety & Depression.” Encyclopedia on Early

Childhood Development, Mar. 2013, www.child-encyclopedia.com/anxiety-and-

depression/according-experts/parent-child-relationships-early-childhood-and-

development.
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Jacobus, J. “The Influence of Substance Use on Adolescent Brain Development - L.M.

Squeglia, J. Jacobus, S.F. Tapert, 2009.” SAGE Journals, 2009,

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/155005940904000110.

King, Jacob. “Air Pollution, Mental Health, and Implications for Urban Design - a Review.”

Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, 2018,

www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/journal-4---air-pollution-and-mental-

health.html.

Mandell, Wallace, and JH Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Origins of Mental Health.”

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 7 Nov. 2013,

www.jhsph.edu/departments/mental-health/about-us/origins-of-mental-health.html.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Part 1: The Connection Between Substance Use

Disorders and Mental Illness.” NIDA, 2020,

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-

substance-use-disorders/part-1-connection-between-substance-use-disorders-

mental-illness.

Simon, Kevin M. “Addressing Poverty and Mental Illness.” Psychiatric Times, 29 June

2018, www.psychiatrictimes.com/special-reports/addressing-poverty-and-mental-

illness.

Smith, Melinda. “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues.” HelpGuide.org, 15 Apr.

2020, www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/substance-abuse-and-mental-

health.htm.
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Social Solutions. “20 Alarming Domestic Violence Statistics for 2018.” Social Solutions, 4

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Thomas, Scot. “Addiction Statistics: Drug & Substance Abuse Statistics.” American

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Weir, Kirsten. “Smog in Our Brains.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological

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heart/201512/untreated-mental-illness.