- One of the primary characteristics affecting the unwantedness of noise is its loudness or perceived intensity.

- Vibrations are perceived as a complement to loud noise in most community surveys of noise and are found to be important factors in determining annoyance.

- After controlling for noise level, noise annoyance increases with fear of danger from the noise source, sensitivity to noise, the belief that the authorities can control the noise, awareness of the non-noise impacts of the source and the belief that the noise source is not important.

Acoustic predictors of noise annoyance in community surveys

- The most widespread and well documented subjective response to noise is annoyance, which may include fear and mild anger, related to a belief that one is being avoidably harmed.

- In both traffic and aircraft noise studies, noise levels have been found to be associated with annoyance in a dose–response relationship.

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Mental ill-health also increases annoyance. 

Noise and psychiatric disorder

Stansfeld, S. A., &amp; Matheson, M. P. (2003). Noise pollution: Non-auditory effects on health. British Medical Bulletin, 68(1), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldg033 

Reference- Noise pollution: non-auditory effects on health

Community surveys have found that high percentages of people reported ‘headaches’, ‘restless nights’, and ‘being tense and edgy’ in high-noise areas.

Noise exposure and psychological symptoms

- Early studies found associations between the level of aircraft noise and psychiatric hospital admission rates both in London and Los Angeles, but this has not been convincingly confirmed by more recent studies.

- Environmental noise seems to be linked to psychological symptoms but not to clinical psychiatric disorder. However, there may be a link to psychiatric disorder at much higher noise levels.

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