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EFFECTS ON HEALTH
ting the stress–diathesis model, in which noise exposure increases arousal, and
chronic exposure leads to chronic physiological change and subsequent health
effects. It is not clear, however, whether this model is appropriate for mental health
effects. A more sophisticated model (Biesiot, Pulles and Stewart, 1989; Passchier-
Vermeer, 1993) incorporates the interaction between the person and their environment.
In this model, the person readjusts their behaviour in noisy conditions to
reduce exposure. An important addition is the inclusion of the appraisal of noise (in
terms of danger, loss of quality, meaning of the noise, challenges for environmental
control, etc.) and coping (the ability to alter behaviour to deal with the stressor).
This model emphasizes that dealing with noise is an active not a passive process.
4.8.7 HABITUATION TO NOISE AND MENTAL HEALTH
It is likely that mental health effects arise from persistent exposure to noise over a long
period of time. But do people habituate or adapt to noise over time? In some studies people
do seem to adapt to noise and no longer notice noise that they are frequently exposed
to. On the other hand, in some studies of annoyance there seems to be little evidence of
adaptation (Cohen and Weinstein, 1981). It may be that, as in physiological studies, a
failure of adaptation occurs if the stimulus is novel, salient or implies threat. The development
of mental health symptoms implies a failure to habituate to noise, or at least to
adapt to noise. In some studies control over noise or active coping with noise rather than
passive emotion-focused coping is related to lower levels of symptom (van Kamp, 1990).
Habituation has not been formally studied in relation to noise and mental health.
4.8.8 RISK GROUPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS FROM
NOISE
One way to look at susceptibility to noise is to think about groups in the population
who may be more susceptible to noise, for instance people with existing physical or
mental illness tend to be more highly annoyed by noise and potentially could be vulnerable
to mental health effects. Similarly, people with hearing impairment may be
vulnerable to communication difficulties in noisy environments that could increase
the risk of mental health symptoms. People who report that they are sensitive to
noise tend to be more prone to noise annoyance and may be more at risk for common
mental disorders (Stansfeld et al., 2002).
4.8.9 POPULATION GROUPS AT RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH
EFFECTS FROM NOISE
There is some evidence that children are more vulnerable to the mental health effects
of noise than adults in terms of prematurity, low birth weight and through scoring
higher on hyperactivity. There is no consistent evidence of age, social class, ethnic or
gender differences in susceptibility to mental health effects from environmental noise.
4.8.10 NOISE SENSITIVITY
Noise sensitivity, based on attitudes to noise in general (Anderson, 1971; Stansfeld,
1992), is an intervening variable which explains much of the variance between exposure
and individual annoyance responses (Weinstein, 1978; Langdon, Buller and
NIGHT NOISE GUIDELINES FOR EUROPE