Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association between Environmental Noise Exposure and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Adults

Background: Environmental noise pollution has emerged as an increasingly significant public health concern, particularly in relation to its potential impact on the mental health of adults aged 35 years or older. This study aims to systematically examine the association between environmental noise exposure and the incidence of depression and anxiety symptoms within this demographic. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases was conducted. A total of 11 eligible studies were identified, comprising 15,525 adults aged 35 years or older, among whom 2205 (14.2%) individuals reported experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis with heterogeneity assessment, sensitivity analysis and exploratory subgroup analyses to evaluate the robustness and variability of the findings. Results: The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant association between long-term environmental noise exposure and an increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms in adults aged 35 years or older (risk ratio [RR] = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.16–1.51, P < 0.05). Substantial heterogeneity was observed across the included studies ( I 2 = 68.1%), suggesting moderate variability in study design, geographic location and exposure assessment methodologies. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, and recalculated RRs ranged from 1.27 to 1.35. Exploratory subgroup analyses revealed that road traffic noise was the most commonly investigated source and consistently exhibited positive associations. Notably, both aircraft noise and community-level or multi-source noise were linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to environmental noise increases the risk of depression and anxiety in adults aged 35 or older. Key factors such as socioeconomic status, residential environment and individual sensitivity to noise moderate this association. Future research should further explore the role of socioeconomic factors.