Pollution harms mental health and climate change linked to more suicides

Climate change is having a profound impact on various aspects of human life, affecting not only the physical environment, but also people’s mental health. This global phenomenon, driven by human activities, is altering weather patterns, increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and deteriorating air quality. These changes not only result in physical damage and loss of life, but also have significant repercussions on the psychological well-being of affected communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that climate change has the potential to reverse decades of progress in global health. Recent research is revealing alarming connections between global warming and the rise in mental disorders, including increased suicide rates. These findings underscore the urgent need to address climate change not only as an environmental crisis, but also as a direct threat to global mental health.

Increase in Suicides Linked to Global Warming

Climate change is profoundly altering global health. “It has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health,” warns the World Health Organization (WHO). Science has documented its influence on diseases such as cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and increased deaths from extreme weather events. A review by Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and IDIBAPS, published in World Psychiatry, reveals that global warming has increased suicide deaths by 5%. In addition, prolonged exposure to pollutants in paints and varnishes is associated with a higher incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment.

Global warming affects both physical and mental health. For example, it causes extreme events that cause physical damage and death, and traumatic effects on economic stability and food security. This impact is so significant that it has given rise to terms such as eco-anxiety and ecological grief.

Pollution and Its Harmful Effect on Mental Health

The authors analyzed 285 global studies and found strong associations. “Climate change and pollution significantly affect mental health,” says Raduà, director of the Imaging of Mood and Anxiety-Related Disorders Group at IDIBAPS. Rising temperatures have increased suicide rates by 5%. Although the biological mechanisms are still unclear, they suggest that exposure to high temperatures may affect brain function, increasing irritability and stress, and amplifying symptoms of mental disorders.

Eduard Vieta, head of the Psychiatry and Psychology Service at Clínic, points out that global warming is an added factor to the complexity of suicide, where 90% of cases involve an underlying mental illness. “Rising temperatures add emotional distress, like another drop in a full glass,” he explains. Peak temperature extremes show a greater increase in suicide deaths.

On air pollution, the researchers found a significant association with prolonged exposure to solvents used in paints and cleaning products. These products are toxic to the body, causing symptoms ranging from skin irritation to loss of consciousness. Raduà stresses that these findings corroborate the toxicity of products such as toluene, known for its effects on the central nervous system.