Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate pollution, sleep disturbance and their interaction effects on suicide attempts among Chinese adolescents

In cities around the world, Covid-19 lockdowns have improved outdoor air quality, in some cases dramatically. Even if only temporary, these improvements could have longer-lasting effects on policy by making chronic air pollution more salient and boosting political pressure for change. To that end, it is important to develop objective estimates of both the air quality improvements associated with Covid-19 lockdowns and the benefits these improvements generate. We use panel data econometric models to estimate the effect of Bogotás lockdown on fine particulate pollution, epidemiological models to simulate the effect of reductions in that pollution on long-term and short-term mortality, and benefit transfer methods to estimate the monetary value of the avoided mortality. We find that in its first year of implementation, on average, Bogotás lockdown cut fine particulate pollution by more than one-fifth. However, the magnitude of that effect varied considerably over the course of the year and across the citys neighborhoods. Equivalent permanent reductions in fine particulate pollution would reduce long-term premature deaths by more than one-quarter each year, a benefit valued at $670 million per year. Finally, we estimate that in 2020-2021, the lockdown reduced short-term deaths by 31 percent, a benefit valued at $180 million.

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Long-term analysis of the relationships between indoor and outdoor fine particulate pollution: A case study using research grade sensors

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145778 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 776 ◽

pp. 145778

Author(s):

Daniel L. Mendoza ◽

Tabitha M. Benney ◽

Sarah Boll

Keyword(s):

Particulate Pollution ◽

Fine Particulate ◽

Research Grade ◽

Term Analysis ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

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Suicide Attempts During Adolescence: Systematic Hospitalization and Crisis Treatment

Crisis ◽

10.1027//0227-5910.20.1.41 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 41-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jérôme Ottino

Keyword(s):

Attempted Suicide ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Psychiatric Treatment ◽

Health Workers ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Theoretical Hypothesis ◽

Initial Resistance ◽

Provision Of Care ◽

Suicidal Crisis

This paper deals with an inpatient unit that recently opened in Geneva, specializing in the treatment of patients aged 16-21 years who had attempted suicide or felt the desire to commit suicide. This particular center was established because of the significant weaknesses found in the provision of care to adolescents who had attempted suicide. Despite the growing interest of health workers in this area of study over recent years, the frequency of suicide among the young has not decreased and there are numerous recurrences of the suicide attempts. Further, all efforts to improve the adolescents' compliance with psychiatric treatment have failed to date. The number of drop-outs from treatment is still very high. Thus, the objectives of our inpatient unit are as follows: (1) to overcome initial resistance to treatment and to improve long-term compliance; (2) to decrease the number of recurrent attempts as a consequence of the above, thus increasing life expectancy; (3) to offer the adolescents who have tried (or have contemplated) committing suicide an improved quality of life, after first helping them overcome the suicidal crisis. To achieve these goals, the therapeutic team of the unit proposes short stays during which the work with the adolescents consists of a very intensive psychoanalytic-oriented crisis intervention. Numerous practical aspects of our therapeutic approach in the inpatient unit are related here in detail, always with reference to our theoretical hypothesis.

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The Effect of Virtual Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Current Psychiatry Reports ◽

10.1007/s11920-021-01272-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Amanda Jiang ◽

Michael Rosario ◽

Sara Stahl ◽

Jessica M. Gill ◽

Heather L. Rusch

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Delivery Method ◽

Attrition Rates ◽

Long Term Effect ◽

Evidence Based Treatments ◽

Intervention Adherence ◽

Improve Sleep Quality

Abstract Purpose of Review We summarized peer-reviewed literature investigating the effect of virtual mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on sleep quality. We aimed to examine the following three questions: (1) do virtual MBIs improve sleep quality when compared with control groups; (2) does the effect persist long-term; and (3) is the virtual delivery method equally feasible compared to the in-person delivery method? Recent Findings Findings suggest that virtual MBIs are equivalent to evidence-based treatments, and to a limited extent, more effective than non-specific active controls at reducing some aspects of sleep disturbance. Overall, virtual MBIs are more effective at improving sleep quality than usual care controls and waitlist controls. Studies provide preliminary evidence that virtual MBIs have a long-term effect on sleep quality. Moreover, while virtual MBI attrition rates are comparable to in-person MBI attrition rates, intervention adherence may be compromised in the virtual delivery method. Summary This review highlights virtual MBIs as a potentially effective alternative to managing sleep disturbance during pandemic-related quarantine and stay-at-home periods. This is especially relevant due to barriers of accessing in-person interventions during the pandemic. Future studies are needed to explore factors that influence adherence and access to virtual MBIs, with a particular focus on diverse populations.

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Long-term exposure to iron and copper in fine particulate air pollution and their combined impact on reactive oxygen species concentration in lung fluid: a population-based cohort study of cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality in Toronto, Canada

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyaa230 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zilong Zhang ◽

Scott Weichenthal ◽

Jeffrey C Kwong ◽

Richard T Burnett ◽

Marianne Hatzopoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Regression Models ◽

Population Based ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Lung Fluid ◽

Fine Particulate ◽

Combined Impact

Abstract Background Exposure to fine particulate (PM2.5) air pollution is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD), but less is known about its specific components, such as metals originating from non-tailpipe emissions. We investigated the associations of long-term exposure to metal components [iron (Fe) and copper (Cu)] in PM2.5 with CVD incidence. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study in Toronto, Canada. Exposures to Fe and Cu in PM2.5 and their combined impact on the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung fluid were estimated using land use regression models. Incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF) and CVD death was ascertained using health administrative datasets. We used mixed-effects Cox regression models to examine the associations between the exposures and health outcomes. A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted, including indirect adjustment for individual-level cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. smoking), and adjustment for PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Results In single-pollutant models, we found positive associations between the three exposures and all three outcomes, with the strongest associations detected for the estimated ROS. The associations of AMI and CHF were sensitive to indirect adjustment, but remained robust for CVD death in all sensitivity analyses. In multi-pollutant models, the associations of the three exposures generally remained unaltered. Interestingly, adjustment for ROS did not substantially change the associations between PM2.5 and CVD, but attenuated the associations of NO2. Conclusions Long-term exposure to Fe and Cu in PM2.5 and their combined impact on ROS were consistently associated with increased CVD death.

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