Abstract
This review article focuses on mental health implications of climate change. Global warming is likely to cause the severe widespread emergencies: extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, water-related disasters (i.e., flooding, hurricanes and coastal storms), extreme snow, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Rising temperatures, sea level rise and extreme weather events have led to secondary and tertiary consequences, e.g., social disruption, impoverishment and population displacement. Mental health risks of climate change include greater stress, stressrelated disorders, anxiety, despair, depression, and suicidal ideation. Those risks can stem from climate-related natural disasters (e.g., extreme weather events), slower moving events (e.g., drought), or concern about the phenomenon of climate change itself. A focus on the impact of climate change on mental health can help enhance the understanding of factors that strengthen psychosocial resilience and adaptation, as well as design tailor-made local interventions. Proper psychosocial adaptation strategies for the upcoming mental health challenges of climate change require development of social capital and strengthening of institutional systems.
Highlights
According to the WHO’s definition of health, as contained in its constitution: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” [1, p. 1]
This review article focuses on the mental health implications of climate change
Mental health-related descriptors (i.e., “mental health” or “mental disorders”) and the “climate change” term were used in particular searches
Summary
This review article focuses on mental health implications of climate change. Mental health risks of climate change include greater stress, stressrelated disorders, anxiety, despair, depression, and suicidal ideation. Those risks can stem from climate-related natural disasters (e.g., extreme weather events), slower moving events (e.g., drought), or concern about the phenomenon of climate change itself. A focus on the impact of climate change on mental health can help enhance the understanding of factors that strengthen psychosocial resilience and adaptation, as well as design tailor-made local interventions. Proper psychosocial adaptation strategies for the upcoming mental health challenges of climate change require development of social capital and strengthening of institutional systems
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