An exploratory study of emotional and mental well-being of adolescence affected by air pollution

Pages: 74-80
Vinod K. Shanwal (Department of Education & Training, Gautam Buddha University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh)

Environmental pollution is harmful to the health it has become one of the most prevalent issue that is faced by all the countries around the world. A vast literature has assessed the effects of pollution on all the living beings (Azam, Zaiyani, & Mood, 2016). There have been studies that indicate harmful effect of air pollution. Most of the available literature primarily focuses on physical health issues that arise due to air contamination. Impact of air pollution on mental and psychological health is explored in scarce proportions (UNICEF, 2020). Most of the developing countries are facing this problem on a greater level. The more harm it creates in developing nations less is the understanding of dangerous effects on mental and psychological health (World Health Organisation, 2018). To combat the detrimental effects of air pollution, existing studies have highlighted the necessity to work on increasing resilience and coping abilities in children (Theron et al., 2021). There is a need of focussed and planned formats to be practiced in order to develop coping abilities and measures to neutralise effects of air pollution on psychological and mental health of children (Azam, Zaiyani, & Mood, 2016). This study takes into consideration the mental and emotional health issues that children face, alongside developing a strategy which involves informing, educating and building interventions to deal with increasing harms of air pollution.