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Traffic Noise and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Janice Hegewald

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
    Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 9, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany
    Contributed equally.)

  • Melanie Schubert

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
    Contributed equally.)

  • Alice Freiberg

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany)

  • Karla Romero Starke

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
    Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 9, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany)

  • Franziska Augustin

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany)

  • Steffi G. Riedel-Heller

    (Institute for Social Medicine, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany)

  • Hajo Zeeb

    (Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz-Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology—BIPS, 28359 Bremen, Germany
    Health Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany)

  • Andreas Seidler

    (Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany)

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that traffic noise may negatively impact mental health. However, existing systematic reviews provide an incomplete overview of the effects of all traffic noise sources on mental health. We conducted a systematic literature search and summarized the evidence for road, railway, or aircraft noise-related risks of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and dementia among adults. We included 31 studies (26 on depression and/or anxiety disorders, 5 on dementia). The meta-analysis of five aircraft noise studies found that depression risk increased significantly by 12% per 10 dB L DEN (Effect Size = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.23). The meta-analyses of road (11 studies) and railway traffic noise (3 studies) indicated 2–3% (not statistically significant) increases in depression risk per 10 dB L DEN . Results for road traffic noise related anxiety were similar. We did not find enough studies to meta-analyze anxiety and railway or aircraft noise, and dementia/ cognitive impairment and any traffic noise. In conclusion, aircraft noise exposure increases the risk for depression. Otherwise, we did not detect statistically significant risk increases due to road and railway traffic noise or for anxiety. More research on the association of cognitive disorders and traffic noise is required. Public policies to reduce environmental traffic noise might not only increase wellness (by reducing noise-induced annoyance), but might contribute to the prevention of depression and anxiety disorders.

Suggested Citation

  • Janice Hegewald & Melanie Schubert & Alice Freiberg & Karla Romero Starke & Franziska Augustin & Steffi G. Riedel-Heller & Hajo Zeeb & Andreas Seidler, 2020. "Traffic Noise and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6175-:d:403965
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mathias Basner & Sarah McGuire, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Effects on Sleep," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-45, March.
    2. Melanie Schubert & Janice Hegewald & Alice Freiberg & Karla Romero Starke & Franziska Augustin & Steffi G. Riedel-Heller & Hajo Zeeb & Andreas Seidler, 2019. "Behavioral and Emotional Disorders and Transportation Noise among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Kateryna B. Fuks & Claudia Wigmann & Hicran Altug & Tamara Schikowski, 2019. "Road Traffic Noise at the Residence, Annoyance, and Cognitive Function in Elderly Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-12, May.
    4. Clémence Baudin & Marie Lefèvre & Patricia Champelovier & Jacques Lambert & Bernard Laumon & Anne-Sophie Evrard, 2018. "Aircraft Noise and Psychological Ill-Health: The Results of a Cross-Sectional Study in France," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Charlotte Clark & Katarina Paunovic, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cognition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Charlotte Clark & Katarina Paunovic, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Quality of Life, Wellbeing and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-27, October.
    7. Rainer Guski & Dirk Schreckenberg & Rudolf Schuemer, 2017. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Annoyance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-39, December.
    8. Enembe Oku Okokon & Anu W. Turunen & Sari Ung-Lanki & Anna-Kaisa Vartiainen & Pekka Tiittanen & Timo Lanki, 2015. "Road-Traffic Noise: Annoyance, Risk Perception, and Noise Sensitivity in the Finnish Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, May.
    9. Eva-Maria Elmenhorst & Barbara Griefahn & Vinzent Rolny & Mathias Basner, 2019. "Comparing the Effects of Road, Railway, and Aircraft Noise on Sleep: Exposure–Response Relationships from Pooled Data of Three Laboratory Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-13, March.
    10. Angel M. Dzhambov & Peter Lercher, 2019. "Road Traffic Noise Exposure and Depression/Anxiety: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-22, October.
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    2. Kimon Krenz & Ashley Dhanani & Rosemary R. C. McEachan & Kuldeep Sohal & John Wright & Laura Vaughan, 2023. "Linking the Urban Environment and Health: An Innovative Methodology for Measuring Individual-Level Environmental Exposures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Xiangpu Gong & Benjamin Fenech & Claire Blackmore & Yingxin Chen & Georgia Rodgers & John Gulliver & Anna L. Hansell, 2022. "Association between Noise Annoyance and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Melanie Schubert & Karla Romero Starke & Julia Gerlach & Matthias Reusche & Pauline Kaboth & Wolfram Schmidt & Dieter Friedemann & Janice Hegewald & Hajo Zeeb & Andrea Zülke & Steffi G. Riedel-Heller , 2023. "Traffic-Related High Sleep Disturbance in the LIFE-Adult Cohort Study: A Comparison to the WHO Exposure-Response-Curves," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Janice Hegewald & Melanie Schubert & Matthias Lochmann & Andreas Seidler, 2021. "The Burden of Disease Due to Road Traffic Noise in Hesse, Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Christian A. Mikutta & Charlotte Pervilhac & Hansjörg Znoj & Andrea Federspiel & Thomas J. Müller, 2022. "The Impact of Foehn Wind on Mental Distress among Patients in a Swiss Psychiatric Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-11, August.
    7. Beat Schäffer & Reto Pieren & Kurt Heutschi & Jean Marc Wunderli & Stefan Becker, 2021. "Drone Noise Emission Characteristics and Noise Effects on Humans—A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-27, June.
    8. Dominik Hauptvogel & Dirk Schreckenberg & Tobias Rothmund & Marie-Therese Schmitz & Susanne Bartels, 2023. "Being a Fair Neighbor—Towards a Psychometric Inventory to Assess Fairness-Related Perceptions of Airports by Residents—Development and Validation of the Aircraft Noise-Related Fairness Inventory (fAIR," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-21, June.

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