Solastalgia and the mental health impacts of environmental loss

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Climate change is reshaping not just the planet but our emotional lives. Could solastalgia (“solace” (comfort) and “nostalgia” (homesickness)) be a key pathway linking environmental loss to mental distress? This new scoping review of global studies investigates.

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Dirty air, ageing brains: How midlife pollution exposure may accelerate cognitive decline

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Could years of commuting through city smog be leaving lasting marks on our brains? A major UK birth cohort study suggests that midlife exposure to nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants may lead to smaller hippocampal volumes and slower cognitive processing in later life, even after accounting for social and educational factors.

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Where I lay my head is home: residential instability and earlier onset of psychosis

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Liana Romaniuk summarises a recent US cross-sectional study which suggests that residential instability (moving home a lot) may lead to disrupted social networks and relationships, predisposing vulnerable youth to greater stress, which can increase their risk of psychosis.

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Exposure to air pollution increases mental health service use, according to new UK study

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Wajeeha Raza and Peter Coventry review a retrospective cohort study exploring the association between air pollution exposure and mental health service use among individuals with first presentations of psychotic and mood disorders.

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Should European cities be going green for our mental health?

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Eleana Frisira summarises a recent scoping review on the impact that green spaces can have on the mental health of people living in urban settings.

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Poverty causes mental illness and vice versa: how can we end this vicious cycle?

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Andy Bell summarises a new international report that presents the causal links and mechanisms of action between poverty, anxiety and depression.

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Is air pollution associated with poor mental health?

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Ioannis Bakolis summarises a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the association between air pollution exposure and the risk of mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and suicide.

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