Reading time: 2 mins – Spotted on Scientific American

Because Canada is experiencing more than the worst wildfires in its history 7.7 million hectares went up in smokethe fires produce large clouds of smoke, who are on their way to Europe. While scientists no longer need to prove that these are harmful to our physical health, studies are beginning to suggest that fire and smoke also have an impact on our mental health. reports Scientific American magazine.

The destruction of one’s home by the flames or the need to flee can produce symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are present in people who survived the fire, even in those who suffered no loss. reported a study in 2021 published in the journal Behavioral Sciences.

Cognitive abilities are also impaired. Jyoti Mishra, neuroscientist at the University of San Diego, discovered to which people are exposed Fires that devastated the same American state in 2018 were less able to focus and avoid distractions than people who hadn’t engaged with the drama.

Jisung Park from the University of Pennsylvania, who studies the impact of environmental factors on economic opportunities, says on his page that residents of communities affected by natural disasters are experiencing a decline in their education levels and income. Although the scientist didn’t study the direct mental health implications, Scientific American notes that a person with less financial security is more prone to stress.

An increase in fear

Particles in smoke from fires are largely identical to those in polluted air. Researchers have already determined the consequences of this: a Chinese study shows, for example, that students exposed to poor air quality are less happy and more depressed than those who benefit from a cleaner atmosphere.

Also, it was founded that air pollution lowers children’s educational attainment. A scientific article The 2022 study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, comes to the same conclusion for the impact of smoke from fires, albeit to a lesser extent, Scientific American reports.

However, the impact on mental health is not yet clear. In 2014, a search The study, published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, shows that after a smoke episode from fires in Southeast Asia, people in affected regions experienced mild psychological distress that was more severe in victims of physical fire symptoms.

Older studies, one of which is based on the experiences of individuals forest fires in 2003 in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and the other on the aftermath California braziers of 1987report no increase in medical consultations for mental health problems in the aftermath of these episodes.

However, some psychologists note an increase in cases Fear related to climate change and natural disasters. With the climate warming, the fumes are causing concern for the future, Nancy Piotrowski, a therapist in Vallejo, Calif., testifies. Her patients, she says, ask questions like “Will this happen again? How often? Will it be worse next time? However, the psychologist emphasizes, these fears also help “to prepare us when we must act”.