Exploring the association between underreported mental disorders and atmospheric pollution

Leire Unamuno, Centre de Recerca Matemàtica

Co-authors: Amanda Fernández-Fontelo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Pedro Puig, Centre de Recerca Matemàtica and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; David Moriña, Centre de Recerca Matemàtica and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Abstract: Recent literature provides increasing evidence of the link between exposure to environmental pollutants and the risk of developing mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders. This project aims to contribute to this field by developing new statistical methodologies to better understand and quantify these associations. A key challenge in this research is the potential underreporting of mental health conditions, which can introduce biases in statistical analyses. To address this issue, the project will incorporate techniques that account for underregistration, ensuring more accurate and reliable results. Ultimately, the developed methods will be applied to study the relationship between pollutant exposure and mental health outcomes in Catalunya, providing valuable insights that could inform public health policies and interventions.