Noise Pollution and Its Psychological Consequences: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Noise pollution is any undesirable or disturbing sound that negatively impacts the health and well-being of humans and other living creatures. Recent studies suggest that noise pollution, in various forms such as traffic and industrial noise, negatively impacts a person’s physical and mental health (Hegewald et al., 2020). Currently available research review studies provide an incomplete overview of the impact of various forms of noise pollution on mental health. This narrative review study examines the relationship between various types of noise pollution and individual mental health issues in India, such as insomnia, stress, depression, anxiety, etc. A total of 11 studies were included in this research. The review included peer-reviewed journal articles published in English that presented quantitative evidence on noise pollution and mental health in India. Eleven research papers were identified and categorized into five major themes: noise pollution and depression & anxiety disorders, noise pollution and stress, noise pollution and sleep disorders, noise pollution and neuropsychological (loss of attention), and noise pollution and irritation, hypertension & headache. This review provides a basis for recognizing noise pollution as a strong predictor or determinant of mental health problems in India. This review also demonstrates the severity of noise pollution in India. Future research on this topic should focus on longitudinal studies, standardized measurements, and intervention-based approaches to better understand causes and effects.