Michigan researchers are examining a possible link between high pollen counts or allergy days and worsening mental health and increased suicide risk.
The idea is that allergies act as a stressor that disturbs sleep and causes irritability, contributing to poor judgment and, in some cases, mental health problems. The study examines emergency department visits and suicides on high pollen days.
Dr. Shooshan Danagoulian with Wayne State University says climate change is increasing allergy season length and intensity, which could be contributing to rising mental-health issues.
“When I have allergies, I tend to be more irritable, more sluggish, and tend not to make good judgments. So, I wanted to find out if this affects behaviors more widely.”
Danagoulian says it’s worth a closer look.
More than 47,000 people took their own lives, and more than 300,000 were treated in emergency rooms for self-harm injuries, in 2018 alone. Those numbers are part of a trend that has been increasing for a decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
