Air chemical particles and pollution quality association with mental health: A case for depression and anxiety among Iranian university students in Iranian cities with lower air quality

Air pollution is one of the greatest public health threats worldwide. All substances appear in excessive quantities in the atmosphere, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, or sulfur oxides, maybe its ingredients. Depending on their size and nature, these compounds may cause a greater risk of suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular diseases for exposed people, as well as exacerbation and increased mortality due to these illnesses. Smaller particles may penetrate the brain’s blood barrier and thus affect the central nervous system. To study the impact of air pollution on individual mental health, this study uses data from the Iranian Student Mental Health Survey (IRSMHS) and a precise Poisson regression model based on the air quality index (API). According to the study, air pollution significantly impacts individual mental health. Depression and mental health are worse when air pollution levels are high. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis determined that men and urban populations were more sensitive to air pollution, while this effect did not appear in women and rural groups. As part of the effort to improve people’s mental health, this article stresses the importance of intensifying efforts to control air pollution and winning the battle to defend the blue sky as soon as possible.