In a recent study published in PLoS ONE , researchers developed a novel measure, affective sensitivity to air pollution (ASAP), to assess psychological vulnerability to climate change. They focused on fluctuations in individuals' emotions caused by their daily exposure to air pollution. Study: Affective Sensitivity to Air Pollution (ASAP): Person-specific associations between daily air pollution and affective states .
Image Credit: moaarif/Shutterstock.com Background Air pollution can interrupt daily living, increasing the likelihood of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Climate change exposes more people to air pollution, altering emotions and resulting in fewer adaptive activities.
Individual sensitivity to climate risks is a primary factor in their susceptibility to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has redefined climate vulnerability concerning sensitivity and adaptation capability to climate change. Examining fluctuations in individual emotions in response to variations in air pollution can give fresh insight into the short-term consequences of air pollution on well-being.
Furthermore, affect is susceptible to daily fluctuations in air pollution, as air pollution impairs affect-driven health behaviors, including physical exercise and good sleep. About the study In the present study, researchers developed the ASAP intra-individual variability construct to investigate the influence of daily air pollution levels on dail.