Why a project like DeprAir?

Major depressive disorder

Similar to many conditions, depression also has modifiable factors that affect the risk of developing the disorder or its course.

A balanced diet or physical exercise, for example, would promote better outcomes for people with depression. Some data from the scientific literature also show that living in rural environments could be more associated with mental well-being.

Various hypotheses have been formulated in this regard, including less access to substances of abuse and a less stressful social and work environment. For some years, it has also been observed that environmental factors, such as the lack of green spaces or air quality, can negatively impact the mental health of the population and explain the gap in terms of psychological well-being between urban and rural contexts.

The hypothesis behind the DeprAir project

The working group of the DeprAir project hypothesizes that air quality can negatively influence mental health. To demonstrate this hypothesis, the focus has been placed on a disorder widely represented in the general population: Major Depressive Disorder.

The goal is to evaluate how air pollution can contribute to an unfavorable course of depressive disorder. It is assumed that poor air quality can cause biological changes in our bodies that increase vulnerability to developing depressive symptoms.

After DeprAir

Our research group intends to continue studying the relationship between environmental determinants and mental health in the population over time. The outcomes of this research will be useful for implementing prevention strategies aimed at improving air quality, such as the expansion of green spaces in urban areas.

Moreover, the results on biological changes related to both air pollution and depression could enable the identification of new treatment targets. The research group members are available for discussions with the public to develop new ideas for research in this field and formulate hypotheses for potential practical applications.