The invisible threat of indoor air pollution

The rise in aesthetically designed modern mental health facilities to aid mental wellbeing has seen positive results in recent years. Architects' mental health-conscious design choices — such as incorporating light, shared spaces, and art spaces into designs, has increased comfort and psychological wellbeing for occupants — but while marvelling at the wonders of the building, how many stop to think about the air they are breathing inside it?

Air pollution, both outdoor and indoor, is the biggest environmental risk to health.¹ Pollutants in the air pose a significant threat to people, and if inhaled, can enter the bloodstream and travel through the body into vital organs, causing serious physical and mental health problems with regular exposure. Yet as an invisible threat we cannot see, we take the air we breathe for granted; we wouldn't shower in dirty water, and yet the air we breathe daily — 11,0000 litres of it, is inhaled without a thought.

Research has shown that exposure to high levels of air pollution can lead to decreased quality of life, and an increased risk of depression and suicide ideation. Breathing unhealthy air is associated with increased anxiety symptoms,² and can lead to neurocognitive disorders, such as dementia.³ Children and adolescents that are exposed to poor indoor air quality at critical stages in their mental development could also be at risk of severe impacts to their future mental health. These risks are very real in mental health facilities, both in new buildings and existing older premises, so it is imperative that effective ventilation strategies are adopted to keep buildings' occupants safe, healthy, and feeling well.