Impact of Climate Change on Individual and Community Mental Health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59926/jodprp.vol06/06Keywords:
Climate Change, Mental Health, Heat Waves, Natural Disasters, ResilienceAbstract
This paper provides an overview of the current and prospective climate change-related risks and impacts on individual and community mental health, as outlined by studies from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and Pakistan, in addition to a few European countries from 2000 to January 2022. It argues three major points, first, certain vulnerabilities exist with regards to which populations are most atrisk of experiencing poor psychological well-being. The main vulnerabilities and risk factors highlighted in the paper are low socioeconomic background, young age, and communities having close cultural and working relationships with the environment. Second, climate change-induced natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and heatwaves can have several impacts on mental health, mainly due to worsening physical health, disruption of community cohesion, and forced relocation. The concept of community resilience is also discussed. Finally, the relationship between heat waves and increased psychological fatigue and feelings of hostility is also explored, linked with rising crime rate which can further impact individual and community mental health. It was concluded that climate change impacts individual and community mental health in many ways and that certain gaps in knowledge, such as the factors influencing the severity of this impact and the reasons behind the existence of vulnerabilities among populations, need to be addressed and incorporated into future action. Moreover, adaptive action needs to be taken in preparing societies for the impact of climate change. This includes increasing accessibility to quality mental healthcare and creating protective legal frameworks for those who are disproportionately affected by interpersonal violence during and after climate-related natural disasters.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Ali, S.K. and Soomar, S.M. 2019, ‘Hopelessness Leading to Self-harm and Suicide’, Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience, vol.10, no.2, p. 296, DOI: 10.36648/21716625.10.2.296.
APA 2020a, ‘Resilience’, APA Dictionary of Psychology, American Psychological Association, <https://dictionary.apa.org/resilience>.
APA 2020b, ‘Interactionism’, APA Dictionary of Psychology, American Psychological Association, <https://dictionary.apa.org/interactionism>.
APHA and ecoAmerica 2021, ‘Making the Connection: Climate Changes Mental
Health’ [Online], American Public Health Association and ecoAmerica,<https://www.apha.org/~/media/files/pdf/topics/climate/climate_changes_mental_health.ashx>.
Bakic, H. and Ajdukovic, D. 2021, ‘Resilience after Natural Disasters: The Process of Harnessing Resources in Communities Differentially Exposed to a Flood’, European Journal of Psychotraumatology, vol. 12, no.1.
Berry, J.W., Kim, U., Minde, T. and Mok, D. 1987, ‘Comparative Studies of Acculturative Stress’, International Migration Review, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 491-511, <https://doi.org/10.1177/019791838702100303>.
Bhamani, A., Sobani, Z.A., Baqir, M., Bham, N.S., Beg, M.A. and Fistein, E. 2012, ‘Mental Health in the Wake of Flooding in Pakistan: An Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis’, Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 66-68.
Bukhari, S.I. and Rizvi, S.S.H. 2015, ‘Impact of Floods on Women: With Special Reference to Flooding Experience of 2010 Flood in Pakistan’, Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters, vol. 5, no. 2, DOI:10.4172/2167-0587.1000140.
Burke, M., González, F., Baylis, P. et al., 2018, ‘Higher Temperatures Increase Suicide Rates in the United States and Mexico’, Nature Climate Change, vol. 8, pp. 723729, <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0222-x>.
Burke, S., Sanson, A.V. and Van Hoorn, J. 2018, ‘The Psychological Effects of Climate Change on Children’, Current Psychiatry Reports, vol. 20, no. 5, p.35, <https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0896-9>.
Caspi, A., Sugden, K., Moffitt, T.E., Taylor, A., Craig, I.W. et al., 2003, ‘Influence of Life Stress on Depression: Moderation by a Polymorphism in the 5-HTT Gene’, Science, vol. 301, no. 5631, pp. 386-389, <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1083968>.
Cianconi, P., Betrò, S. and Janiri, L. 2020, ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 11, DOI: 0.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074.
Cohen, S., Alper, C.M., Doyle, W.J., Adler, N., Treanor, I.J. and Turner, R.B. 2008, ‘Objective and Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Susceptibility to the Common Cold’, Health Psychology, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 268-74, DOI: 10.1037/02786133.27.2.268.
Cunsolo, A. and Ellis, N. 2018,’ Ecological Grief as a Mental Health Response to Climate Change-Related Loss’, Nature Climate Change, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 275-281, DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0092-2.
DHHS 2022, ‘What is Mental Health?’ [Online], Department of Health and Human Services, MentalHealth.gov, <https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/whatismentalhealth#:~:text=Mental+health+includes+our+emotional,childhood+and+adolescence+through+adulthood>.
Flynn, B. and Norwood, A.E. 2004, ‘Defining Normal Psychological Reactions to Disaster’, Psychiatric Annals, vol. 34, pp. 597-603, DOI: 10.3928/0048-571320040801-13.
Freedy, J.R. and Simpson, W.M., Jr. 2007, ‘Disaster-related Physical and Mental Health: A Role for the Family Physician’, American Family Physician, vol. 75, no. 6, pp. 841-846.
Gartland, D., Giallo, R., Woolhouse, H., Mensah, F. and Brown, S. 2019, ‘Intergenerational Impacts of Family Violence - Mothers and Children in a Large Prospective Pregnancy Cohort Study’, eClinicalMedicine, vol. 15, pp. 51-61, DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.008.
Giorgadze, T., Maisuradze, I., Japaridze, A., Utiashvili, Z. and Abesadze, G. 2011, ‘Disasters and their Consequences for Public Health’, Georgian Medical News, no. 194, pp. 59-63.
Harandi, T. F., Taghinasab, M. M. and Nayeri, T.D. 2017, ‘The Correlation of Social Support with Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis’, Electronic Physician, vol. 9, no. 9, pp. 5212-5222, <https://doi.org/10.19082/5212>.
Hyman, S.M., Gold, S.N. and Cott, M.A. 2003, ‘Forms of Social Support that Moderate PTSD in Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors’, Journal of Family Violence, vol. 18, pp. 295-300.
IPCC 2018, ‘Global Warming of 1.5oC. Summary for Policymakers’, IPCC Special Report [Online], Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, <https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/>.
Jackson, R. 2021, ‘The Effects of Climate Change’, [Online], Global Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, <https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/>.
Kim, Y.M. and Cho, S.I. 2020, ‘Socioeconomic Status, Work-Life Conflict, And Mental Health’, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, vol. 63, no. 8, pp. 703-712, <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32419237/>.
Kelly, A. 2017, ‘Eco-Anxiety at University: Student Experiences and Academic
Perspectives on Cultivating Healthy Emotional Responses to the Climate Crisis’, Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection, 2642, <https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2642>.
Laaksonen, E., Martikainen, P., Lahelma, E., Lallukka, T., Rahkonen, O., Head, J. and Marmot, M., 2007, ‘Socioeconomic Circumstances and Common Mental Disorders among Finnish and British Public Sector Employees: Evidence from the Helsinki Health Study and the Whitehall II Study’, International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 776-786, <https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dym074>.
Layard, R. 2016, ‘The Economics of Mental Health’, [Online], IZA World of Labor, <https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.321>.
Lünnemann, M., Horst, F., Prinzie, P., Luijk, M. and Steketee, M. 2019, ‘The Intergenerational Impact of Trauma and Family Violence on Parents and their Children’, Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 96, no. 104134, <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104134>.
McKeever, V. 2021, ‘Nearly Half of Young People Worldwide Say Climate Change Anxiety is Affecting their Daily Life’, CNBC,
<https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/young-people-say-climate-anxiety-is-affecting-their-daily-life.html>.
Müller, G., Bombana, M., Heinzel-Gutenbrenner, M. et al., 2021, ‘Socioeconomic Consequences of Mental Distress: Quantifying the Impact of Self-Reported Mental Distress on the Days of Incapacity to Work and Medical Costs in a Two-Year Period: A Longitudinal Study in Germany’, BMC Public Health, vol. 21, no. 625, <https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-10637-8>.
NASA 2022, ‘Overview: Weather, Global Warming and Climate Change’, [Online], Global Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, <https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming-vs-climate-change/>.
Ngu, F., Kelman, I., Chambers, J. et al., 2021, ‘Correlating Heatwaves and Relative Humidity with Suicide (Fatal Intentional Self-Harm)’, Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 22175, <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01448-3>.
NIST 2022, ‘Community Resilience’, [Online], National Institute of Standards and Technology, <https://nist.gov/community-resilience>.
Parker, M. 2016, ‘The Impact of Disasters on Inflation’, European Central Bank Working Paper Series, <https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp1982.en.pdf>.
Polain, J. D., Berry, H. L. and Hoskin, J.O. 2011, ‘Rapid Change, Climate Adversity and the Next ‘Big Dry’: Older Farmers’ Mental Health’, The Australian Journal of Rural Health, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 239-243, <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01219.x>.
Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P., Baker, A. and Al-Timimi, N. 2004, ‘Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students’, Journal of College Counseling, vol. 7, pp. 73-82.
Ranson, M. 2014, ‘Crime, Weather, and Climate Change’, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 274-302, DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2013.11.008.
Ridley, M., Rao, G., Schilbach, F. and Patel, V. 2020, ‘Poverty, Depression, and Anxiety: Causal Evidence and Mechanisms’, Science, vol. 370, no. 6522, DOI: 10.1126/science.aay0214.
Rowan, K., McAlpine, D.D. and Blewett, LA. 2013, ‘Access and Cost Barriers to Mental Healthcare, by Insurance Status, 1999-2010’, Health Affairs (Project Hope), vol. 32, no. 10, pp. 1723-1730.
Sanz-Barbero, B., Linares, C., Vives-Cases, C., González, J. L., López-Ossorio, J. J. and Díaz, J. 2018, ‘Heat Wave and the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence’, The Science of the Total Environment, vol. 644, pp. 413-419, <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.368>.
SCF and ARROW 2015, ‘Understanding the Climate Change Impact on Women’s Reproductive Health: Post Disaster Interventions in Sindh Province’, Sindh
Community Foundation and Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, <https://arrow.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Climate-Change-and-SRHR-Scoping-Study_Pakistan.pdf>.
Shultz, J., Rechkemmer, A., Rai, A. and McManus, K. 2019, ‘Public Health and Mental
Health Implications of Environmentally Induced Forced Migration’, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 116-122, DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2018.27.
Simoni-Wastila, L. 2000, ‘The Use of Abusable Prescription Drugs: The Role of Gender’, Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 289-297, <https://doi.org/10.1089/152460900318470>.
Slewa-Younan, S., Chippendale, K., Heriseanu, A., Lujic, S., Atto, J. and Raphael, B. 2012, ‘Measures of Psychophysiological Arousal among Resettled Traumatized Iraqi Refugees Seeking Psychological Treatment’, Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol. 25, pp. 348-352, <https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21694>.
Starck, A., Gutermann, J., Schouler-Ocak, M., Jesuthasan, J., Bongard, S. and Stangier,
U. 2020, ‘The Relationship of Acculturation, Traumatic Events and Depression in Female Refugees’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00906.
Swiss Re Institute 2021, ‘The Economics of Climate Change: No Action Not An Option, [Online], <https://www.swissre.com/dam/jcr:e73ee7c3-7f83-4c17-a2b8-8ef23a8d3312/swiss-re-institute-expertise-publication-economics-of-climate-change.pdf>.
Tobin, G.A. and Ollenburger, J.C. 1996, ‘Predicting Levels of Post-disaster Stress in Adults Following the 1993 Floods in the Upper Midwest’, Environment and Behaviour, vol. 28, pp. 340-57.
UN 2021, ‘What is Climate Change?’ [Online], United Nations, <https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change>.
Vergunst, F. and Berry, H.L. 2021, ‘Climate Change is Harming Children’s Mental Health – And this is Just the Start’, [Online], The Conversation,
WHO 2011, ‘Impact of Economic Crises on Mental Health’, World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe, <https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/134999/e94837.pdf>.
Willox, A.C., Harper, S.L., Ford, J.D. et al., 2013, ‘Climate Change and Mental Health: An Exploratory Case Study from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada’, Climatic Change, vol. 121, pp. 255-270, <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0875-4>.
Zahra, S., Batool, M. and Bashir, Q.A. 2016, ‘Impact of Global Climate Change on Economy of Pakistan: How to Ensure Sustainable Food and Energy Production’, Advances in Plants and Agriculture Research, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 508-513, DOI: 10.15406/apar.2016.05.00177.
Zhang, J. and Goodson, P. 2011, ‘Predictors of International Students’ Psychosocial Adjustment to Life in the United States: A Systematic Review’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 139-162.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Emaan Fatima
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
