Introduction: Climate change is not only a global health crisis, but it also has a profound impact on mental health. It is essential to have an in-depth understanding of its impact on mental health and how to prevent and manage it.
According to a 2023 report by the Global Climate Change Organisation (IPCC), rising global temperatures will further exacerbate mental health issues. Given that millions of people suffer from mental health issues every day, it is critical to understand the impact of climate change on our mental health.
Climate change is leading to more frequent and extreme weather events such as floods and storms. People who experience these may experience potentially traumatic events, such as witnessing serious injury or death. As a result, many people experience high levels of psychological distress, and a few may experience more severe psychological problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or substance abuse disorder.
Extreme weather events can also lead to unemployment, homelessness or food and water insecurity, which can have an impact on some of the social and economic determinants of mental health. This, in turn, can adversely affect mental health.
Individuals, families, and communities often demonstrate a high degree of resilience in the face of extreme weather events. According to a 2010 study, most people completely** or maintain good mental health with appropriate psychosocial support. However, as extreme weather events escalate and become more frequent, we don't know if this resilience will be sustainable in the long term.
Climate change is causing temperatures to rise around the world, which can have various adverse effects on mental health. For example, hospitalizations for psychiatric illness and emergency psychiatric visits tend to increase during periods of extreme heat. Studies have shown that suicide rates are higher during periods of extreme heat and are expected to increase as temperatures rise.
We don't yet understand much about the link between heat and poor mental health. One hypothesis is that higher temperatures worsen mood, cause people to feel more irritable and stressed, and worsen symptoms of mental health problems. Globally, periods of exotic heat have been shown to be associated with increased negative emotions expressed online.
High temperatures can also disrupt sleep, and poor sleep can exacerbate mental health problems. A large study analyzing 10 billion sleep observations found that warmer nights are eroding human sleep globally, three times greater for residents of low-income countries.
Finally, medications for certain mental health issues may disrupt the body's ability to regulate temperature, which means that people who take these medications are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.
Climate change and rising temperatures have been shown to increase levels of allergens and pollutants in the air, leading to worsening air quality.
Emerging evidence suggests that poor air quality can negatively impact mental health, especially depression and anxiety. A large study of all people over the age of 65 enrolled in Medicare in the United States showed that short-term exposure to pollutants (PM25 and NO2) are associated with a higher risk of acute hospital admission for psychiatric illness.
Similarly, increased use of mental health services by people with mental illness or mood disorders in the UK is associated with higher levels of air pollution.
Research has shown that exposure to air pollution in childhood and adolescence is also associated with mental health problems in young people as they enter adulthood. It is speculated that this is due to air pollution impairing the normal development of the central nervous system.
Climate change is a major factor in the emergence of infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and Zika in some regions. The survival, reproduction, abundance, and distribution of pathogens, vectors, and hosts can be affected by changes related to global warming.
Physical health and mental health are inherently intertwined. Exposure to a higher proportion of infectious diseases can have a significant adverse effect on mental health due to hospitalization or long-term exposure to severe infections. People with certain diseases, such as neglected tropical diseases, may also face stigma and discrimination.
Climate anxiety and other emerging psychological responses to climate change.
In addition to direct exposure to climate hazards, an increasing number of people are reporting psychological responses related to the prospect of tackling climate change.
These experiences are not yet clinically diagnosed, but there have been several attempts to express them in new terms. These include, among others:
Nostalgia – the inability to find solace in familiar landscapes due to environmental degradation.
Ecological grief – a sense of loss due to experiencing environmental degradation.
Climate anxiety – the feeling of anxiety in the face of climate change.
A large study of 10,000 children and adolescents in 10 countries found that 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change had a negative impact on their daily lives. Another study found that climate-related negative emotions were associated with more insomnia symptoms and poor mental health.
Some argue that these represent adaptive and constructive psychological responses to climate change, and that we should not pathologize them. A growing body of evidence suggests that higher levels of climate anxiety may be associated with higher levels of pro-environmental behaviour in some cases.
Who is most at risk from the mental health effects of climate change?
Groups considered to be particularly vulnerable to being at risk of poor mental health due to climate change include:
Youngster. Female.
Senior citizen. Homeless people.
People with serious mental and physical health problems.
To avoid the worst health impacts of climate change, we must move away from fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy sources that stop deforestation and restore our natural habitats. Different forms of climate change mitigation strategies can have multiple synergistic benefits on mental health. Given the link between physical activity and mental health, shifting to more active modes of transportation, such as cycling or walking, whenever possible, can have a positive impact on mental health.
Similarly, increasing the use of green spaces can also have positive mental health effects. Wellcome-funded research has shown that in green spaces such as forests or parks, even just 15 minutes can improve young people's mood and reduce feelings of anxiety immediately, temporarily.
Even if we reduce emissions and reach our global zero-emissions goal by 2050, many of the effects of global warming are now irreversible. Therefore, in order to protect the health of future populations, we must also adapt to ongoing climate change.
There are a variety of effective evidence-based interventions for different mental health disorders. Some have already been tested in settings that may be particularly relevant to climate change, such as disasters or migrant and refugee populations. However, more research is needed on how to intervene early to promote mental health and prevent and manage mental health problems in the context of climate change.
Postscript: I was deeply moved as I explored the intricate links between climate change and mental health. We are facing unprecedented challenges, but they have also stimulated unprecedented resilience and creativity. During this journey, I realized that each of us has a vital role to play. Our actions affect not only ourselves, but also society and the environment as a whole. In these uncertain times, we need to unite and work together to take sustainable action to create a better tomorrow for our mental health and the future of our planet. May we rise to the challenge with wisdom and courage and write a new chapter.
Author: Alessandro Massazza Introduction, Afterword, Translation: JessicaOriginal: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons license (CC-by-4.).0), translated by Jessica, with an introduction, postscript, and publication.