Environmental Effects on Mental Health – Wells

Methods:

• Paste quoted text from the Methods section of the article on the next line. Do not include quotation marks or a bullet mark:

We specifically analyzed potential confounding and interaction of long-term exposure to surrounding green, air pollution and road-traffic noise. In addition, we analyzed mediation effects to evaluate whether decreased levels of air pollution and road-traffic noise are possible mechanisms underlying potential beneficial effects of surrounding green on poor mental health. 

• Write your translation on the next line:

We looked at the effects of long-term exposure to greenery, pollution and traffic noise to see how it impacted people’s mental health. We then looked at how effects like decreased pollution and traffic noise could be impacting the positive effect of nature on mental health.

Introduction:

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The aim of this study was to evaluate associations of combined longterm exposure to surrounding green, air pollution and traffic noise with poor mental health in a large national health survey of 387,195 adults. 

• Write your translation on the next line:

The study’s goal is to look at the long-term exposure to nature, air pollution and traffic noise across a national health survey of 387,195 adults to assess the impact on mental health.

Results:

• Paste quoted text from the Results section in the article on the next line. Do not include quotation marks:

Surrounding green was inversely associated with poor mental health, while air pollution and to a limited extent traffic noise were positively associated with poor mental health. Studies including only one of these three correlated exposures may overestimate the influence on poor mental health attributed to the studied exposure, while underestimating the influence of combined exposures. 

• Write your translation on the next line:

Having nature was linked with good mental health, while air pollution and traffic noise – to an extent – were linked to poor mental health. Studies that only look at one of these exposures may overestimate the impact the single factor may have and underestimate the power of them all together.

Discussion:

• Paste quoted text from the Discussion section of the article on the next line. Do not include quotation marks:

In single exposure models, surrounding green was inversely associated with poor mental health. Air pollution was positively associated with poor mental health.

• Write your translation on the next line:

In research that looked at the impact of one factor on mental health, surrounding nature was associated with positive mental health. Air pollution was found to be tied to poor mental health.

Future Directions:

• What future research should follow up on this work?

As this paper just looked at the Netherlands, the next logical step would be for it to look at either surrounding countries or Europe as a whole to see what the impact these factors had on a person’s mental health.

Difficult Material:

• What did you not understand about this paper that someone else may be able to help you with? Or, if you understood everything, what did you find most challenging to understand?

The paper’s language around “positively associated” when describing the impact of noise or pollution on mental health was awkwardly phrased, as on the first reading you may think the impact is a positive impact when in reality the authors are just writing that it had a noticeable impact.