Poor mental health and exposure to toxic chemicals are two of the most pressing children’s health issues. The Covid-19 pandemic heightened an already alarming rate of youth mental health challenges. Meanwhile, from 2011 to 2020, youth mental health emergency visits nearly doubled.These trends led the nation's leading pediatric health practitioners to declare a national child and adolescent mental health emergency in 2021. The intersection of environment and mental health Scientists across disciplines increasingly recognize the connection between the environment and mental health. My co-author and I gathered and described recent literature on prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental chemicals and subsequent mental health outcomes.

Source: The Guardian January 15, 2024 10:33 UTC