Living in Unbreathable Prisons:
Air Quality, Mental Health, and Suicide
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26823/rnufen.v17i1.25799Keywords:
poluição, fumaça, saúde mental, suicídioAbstract
This essay proposes a reflection on the impacts of air pollution on mental health and the risk of suicidal crises, using the lived experience during the critical period of wildfires in the Western Amazon in 2024 as a starting point. Through a sensitive narrative grounded in scientific research, it discusses the relationship between prolonged smoke exposure and the increase in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The text addresses the ecological and existential context of this crisis, highlighting the need for preventive public policies and community-based actions for awareness and support. In addition, self-care practices and therapeutic interventions that integrate the environmental dimension into psychological care are suggested. This essay invites the reader to listen to the air and recognize the interdependence between mental health and environmental preservation, reframing the relationship with the environment as a gesture of healing and belonging.
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