Assessing the Air Quality on Mental Well-Being in High-Density Residences: A Case

Study in General Malvar St., Davao City

Air quality has long been acknowledged as an important principle that affects the quality
of life. Aside from its impact on physical health, recent research also showed the consequences
of air pollution in mental health. This review aims to look at existing literature about the
relationship between air quality and mental health especially in densely populated residential
areas.

The relationship between air quality and physical health has been well documented,
however, studies about the former's impact on mental health are scarce. Studies about air
pollution and mental health are often predated by investigations showing links between the
urban setting and mental health, by employing the density of the population or urbanized–rural
differentiations. For instance, a study by Faris and Dunham (1939) investigates the relationship
between mental disorders (ie., schizophrenia and other psychoses) and the ecological structure
of Chicago. The study revealed a direct influence wherein people residing in poverty-stricken,
high cultural conflicted areas as well those in isolated areas showed the highest rate of
incidence for various mental disorders (Faris & Dunham, 1939). This link may be caused by air
pollution along with other causes.

One of the earliest researches about air quality and mental health has looked at the
people's views about the subject. A study by Evans et al. (1988) investigated the relationship
between air pollution and mental health problems by surveying the locals of Los Angeles to rate
the smog levels of the area. The study revealed a direct link between air pollution and higher
anxiety, although the design type does not assess the direct biological aspect where air pollution
impacts the brain (Evans et al., 1988).

As modernization persists in the 21st century, influx of vehicles as well as industrial

activities exacerbated air pollution, and its impact on mental health was examined in numerous
researches. A longitudinal study by Bakolis et al. (2021) examined the mental health
consequences of urban air pollution in South East London from 2008 to 2013 and revealed that
residential areas with high concentrations of pollutants (ie., nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and oxide
(NO), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 μm) are linked with higher odds
of psychotic experiences (33%) and common mental disorders (18-39%).

A research review also showed relationships between poor air quality and poor mental
health, which can be caused by both outdoor air pollution, especially particulate matter, and
urban design and indoor environment; this affects the course of life from pregnancy to adulthood
wherein the critical exposure period is among the children and adolescents (Bhui et al., 2023).
References:
Bakolis, I., Hammoud, R., Stewart, R., Beevers, S., Dajnak, D., MacCrimmon, S., Broadbent,
M., Pritchard, M., Shiode, N., Fecht, D., Gulliver, J., Hotopf, M., Hatch, S. L., & Mudway, I. S.
(2021). Mental health consequences of urban air pollution: prospective population-based
longitudinal survey. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 56(9), 1587–1599.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01966-x

Bhui, K., Newbury, J. B., Latham, R. M., Ucci, M., Nasir, Z. A., Turner, B., O'Leary, C., Fisher, H.
L., Marczylo, E., Douglas, P., Stansfeld, S., Jackson, S. K., Tyrrel, S., Rzhetsky, A., Kinnersley,
R., Kumar, P., Duchaine, C., & Coulon, F. (2023). Air quality and mental health: evidence,
challenges and future directions. BJPsych open, 9(4), e120.
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.507

Evans, G. W., Colome, S. D., & Shearer, D. F. (1988). Psychological reactions to air pollution.
Environmental Research, 45(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(88)80002-1

Faris, R. E. L., & Dunham, H. W. (1939). Mental disorders in urban areas: an ecological study of
schizophrenia and other psychoses. Univ. Chicago Press.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1939-01453-000