Environment and Human Health: Beyond Disciplinary Confinement

Abstract

The human health results from the interplay of lifestyle, genetic, psychological, and other factors. In addition, humans are exposed to numerous environmental factors that affect their physical and mental health. In the present piece of work, the impact of environmental exposure on mental and physical health is understood in the broadest sense. The environment has direct and indirect effects on mental and physical health. High-rise housing and other constructions are detrimental to the psychological wellbeing of people. Residential overcrowding, these high-density areas, and noisy exterior noise sources increase psychological distress and may contribute to the development of mental and physical disorders. Air pollutants with a pungent odor amplify negative effects, and environmental pollutants have also been linked to behavioral disturbances. Lack of adequate daylight is reliably associated with melancholic dispositions and increased depressive symptoms. Consequently, environmental factors continue to negatively impact both mental and physical health. The environment has the potential to encourage or inhibit human interaction. Along with this, individuals’ personal control, social support, relationships, and restoration from tension and fatigue may all be affected by various aspects and properties of the built environment. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when work from home had become commonplace, environmental factors had a significant impact on the health outcomes of individuals. Hence, this article is trying to shed light on the environmental factors that affect the physical and mental health of its users in more than one way and what can be done to make it less stressful, safer, and better by improving the tangible environment.