Environmental pollution exposures, including air, soil, water, light, and noise pollution, are critical issues that may implicate adverse mental health outcomes. Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and droughts, may also cause long-term severe concerns. However, the knowledge about possible psychiatric disorders associated with these exposures is currently not well disseminated. In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on the impact of environmental pollution and extreme weather conditions on mental health, focusing on anxiety spectrum disorders, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and depression. In air pollution studies, increased concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 were the most strongly associated with the exacerbation of anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression symptoms. We provide an overview of the suggested underlying pathomechanisms involved. We highlight that the pathogenesis of environmental pollution-related diseases is multifactorial, including increased oxidative stress, systematic inflammation, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and epigenetic dysregulation. Light pollution and noise pollution were correlated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the impact of soil and water pollution is discussed. Such compounds as crude oil, heavy metals, natural gas, agro-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers), polycyclic or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), solvents, lead (Pb), and asbestos were associated with detrimental impact on mental health. Extreme weather conditions were linked to depression and anxiety spectrum disorders, namely PTSD. Several policy recommendations and awareness campaigns should be implemented, advocating for the advancement of high-quality urbanization, the mitigation of environmental pollution, and, consequently, the enhancement of residents’ mental health.

Background: Sleep disorders are a widespread phenomenon, and the number of individuals suffering from them is increasing every year, especially among young adults. Currently, the literature lacks studies that cover both countries with different levels of development and a period before the announcement of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to globally assess the prevalence of insomnia and daytime sleepiness among students and assess their quality of life. Methods: For this purpose, our own questionnaire was distributed online via Facebook.com. In addition to the questions that assessed socioeconomic status, the survey included psychometric tools, such as the Athens insomnia scale (AIS), the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and the Manchester short assessment of the quality of life (MANSA). The survey distribution period covered 31 January 2016 to 30 April 2021. Results: The survey involved 20,139 students from 60 countries around the world. The vast majority of the students were women (78.2%) and also those residing in countries with very high levels of development and/or high GDP (gross domestic product) per capita at 90.4% and 87.9%, respectively. More than half (50.6%) of the respondents (10,187) took the survey before the COVID-19 pandemic was announced. In the group analyzed, 11,597 (57.6%) students obtained a score indicative of insomnia and 5442 (27.0%) a score indicative of daytime sleepiness. Women, low-income residents, and nonmedical students were significantly more likely to have scores indicating the presence of insomnia. Individuals experiencing both sleepiness (B = −3.142; p < 0.001) and daytime sleepiness (B = −1.331; p < 0.001) rated their quality of life significantly lower. Conclusions: Insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness are common conditions among students worldwide and are closely related. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered students’ diurnal rhythms, which contributed to an increase in insomnia. Students in countries with a high GDP per capita index are significantly less likely to develop insomnia compared to the residents of countries with a low GDP per capita index. Sleep disorders definitely reduce the quality of life of students.

Since 25 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and universities in Poland have indefinitely closed and, where possible, have activated distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering that the undergraduate years are usually characterized by a high prevalence of emotional disorders and sleep problems, it can be expected that the current situation may have a remarkable impact on the student population. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of sleep problems among Polish university students as well as the relationship of insomnia symptoms severity with psychopathological symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and behavioral factors, such as substance use, changes in the amount of sleep, and the level of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1111 Polish university students via an online survey conducted between IV and VI 2020. The survey included demographic variables, the level of psychopathological symptoms (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-28), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale-Revised, IES-R). The results showed that over half of the studied group of students had some form of sleep disturbances during the period of data collection, with moderate-to-severe insomnia symptoms noted in 21.6%. At the same time, the majority of the sample declared they slept more during the pandemic. A significant positive correlation was observed between the severity of insomnia symptoms and PTSD symptoms, as well as GHQ scores, increased substance use, and decreased physical activity. An additional association between the presence of dreams related to the event and insomnia symptoms as well as GHQ scores has been found. The results suggest that sleep problems may be prevalent among university students during the pandemic. Moreover, although the symptoms of insomnia, as well as the severity of sleep disturbance, significantly correlated with all the investigated variables, the direction of those associations remains to be established.

Sleep disorders are a serious health problem worldwide, and insomnia is their most common manifestation. An increasing number of people have insomnia every year, young adults, especially. Due to the importance that sleep has in almost every aspect of our lives, the need to monitor disturbances in circadian rhythms has arisen. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of sleep disorders among Polish students, including their quality of life (QOL) and drug use patterns. The study also investigated associations between sleep, QoL, and drug use. The study was conducted in 2016–2021 based on the self-made sociodemographic questionnaire, as well as standardized psychometric tools: Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Manchester Short Assessment of quality of life (MANSA). A total of 14,844 students participated in the study. The majority were women (80.7%), of which 3425 (23.1%) were medical students, with the most numerous representing medical and dental faculties, 1884 (57.2%). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 52.1% of the surveys were collected; 54.1% of respondents had insomnia as indicated by the AIS scores, and 26.1% displayed sleepiness during the day. Female students, the first-year college students, more often suffered from sleep disorders. Drug use was widespread among Polish students, correlating with sleep assessment results and QoL. In conclusion, sleep disorders are a significant clinical problem among Polish students. Female and junior students’ years are more prone to sleep deprivation. Insufficient sleep can be associated with a lower QoL score and psychoactive substance use. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep are not conclusive, because there was decreasing quality for longer sleep durations. In order to analyze these associations, there is a need for further in-depth study.