Report links environmental health and mental health

CIEH calls for research into the environmental determinants of health to target interventions to improve environmental and mental wellbeing

The fundamental link between environmental health, mental health and wellbeing has been highlighted by The Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2022/23 report, which considers four areas of self-reported wellbeing: loneliness; self-efficacy; personal wellbeing; and locus of control (LoC) – how in control of their life someone feels.

The Executive Office report found 30% of people reported very high levels of life satisfaction, 35% very high levels of happiness and 37% very high levels of personal wellbeing. Individuals reporting ‘very good’ health showed higher levels of wellbeing compared to those reporting ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health, and those in paid employment reported better levels of wellbeing than those without employment.

Homeowners reported better levels of wellbeing than those in social rented accommodation while those in the most deprived areas reported lower levels of wellbeing than those in the least deprived areas.

An Executive Office spokesperson said: “Whilst research has shown that there are links between environmental health, mental health and wellbeing, the Wellbeing in Northern Ireland publication provides self-reported estimates of personal wellbeing, but does not ask respondents about their perceived cause(s) of their current wellbeing, good or otherwise.”

The Executive Office said official statistics are broken down by household count, tenure, deprivation and urban/rural split, and statistical differences are highlighted, “however it is not possible to say whether a respondent’s demographic profile is directly linked to their self-reported level of wellbeing.”

“With sustained investment and action, over time, many of these mental health problems can be prevented.”

Karen Hall​​​​, Head of Northern Ireland at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “With Northern Ireland having one of the highest levels of mental health problems in the UK, it is not surprising to see this data from The Executive Office. The need for urgent action from the government is clear. With sustained investment and action, over time, many of these mental health problems can be prevented.

“There are things we can do ourselves for our wellbeing," Hall added. "Things like keeping active, getting out into nature, and sleeping well. However, many things that can influence our mental health are not in our control. We need action from government."

In response to the report, the CIEH is calling for research into the environmental determinants of health to target interventions to improve environmental and mental wellbeing, and is championing the development of policies that address broader environmental health determinants, including improving housing quality, access to green spaces, and employing effective pollution control measures.

Louise Hosking, Executive Director of Environmental Health, CIEH said: "We are steadfast in our mission to create safer, cleaner, and healthier environments for all, a vision that is more crucial now than ever in light of the findings from this latest report.”

She added that the findings “underscore the necessity of transcending the 'health vs wealth' dichotomy” and “promote the benefits strong public health protections have on, not only physical and mental health, but on economic productivity.”

Hosking said it’s vital that environmental health professionals “connect the dots across the various aspects of Environmental Health to improve overall health and wellbeing” thorough the CIEH’s member-led Advisory Panels, especially the new Public Health Advisory Panel.

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