Mental health support for young people in schools
Evidence suggests that the decline of psychological wellbeing in schools has accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic. How can we best support students individually and equitably?
This briefing outlines the current knowledge about indoor air pollutants and their impacts on health. The briefing highlights current research to address knowledge gaps, outlines relevant legislation and guidance, alongside stakeholder perspectives on the challenges and opportunities to improve indoor air quality.
Indoor Air Quality (1,011 KB , PDF)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PB54
Poor air quality has negative health impacts. Air pollution was the theme of the Chief Medical Officer’s 2022 annual report. People spend the majority of their time inside, and are exposed to a wide range of pollutants in the air that they breathe indoors whether at home, at work or in other public spaces including schools and hospitals.
Some groups are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of poor air quality; many of these people are the least likely to be least able to influence the quality of the air that they are exposed to indoors. Recent coroners’ inquests have highlighted the direct contribution of air pollution to the deaths of two children.
A range of interventions to improve indoor air quality can be put in place. They include methods to control sources of pollution, improving ventilation and using air cleaning technologies, increasing public awareness and strategies to influence behaviour change. There is a range of legislative and regulatory instruments to improve air quality but few directly address the quality of indoor air. Criticisms include a the lack of legally enforceable standards for what would constitute acceptable limits for indoor pollutant levels, and a lack of an integrated policy approach.
POSTbriefs are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders and are externally peer reviewed. POST would like to thank interviewees and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including:
*Denotes people and organisations who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.
Indoor Air Quality (1,011 KB , PDF)
Evidence suggests that the decline of psychological wellbeing in schools has accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic. How can we best support students individually and equitably?
Without sustainable agricultural innovation, such as the use of artificial intelligence, the world faces persistent food insecurity and degraded resources.
How can a land use framework best address food security, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature recovery challenges within England’s finite land area.