Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Oct 6;89(1):66.
doi: 10.5334/aogh.4105. eCollection 2023.

Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Among Vulnerable Populations Globally: An Integrative Review

Bradley Patrick White  1 , Suellen Breakey  1 , Margaret J Brown  1 , Jenny Rand Smith  1 , Amanda Tarbet  2 , Patrice K Nicholas  3 , Ana M Viamonte Ros  4
Affiliations
Review

Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Among Vulnerable Populations Globally: An Integrative Review

Bradley Patrick White et al. Ann Glob Health. .

Abstract

Background: Climate change has been shown to be directly linked to multiple physiological sequelae and to impact health consequences. However, the impact of climate change on mental health globally, particularly among vulnerable populations, is less well understood.

Objective: To explore the mental health impacts of climate change in vulnerable populations globally.

Methods: We performed an integrative literature review to identify published articles that addressed the research question: What are the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations globally? The Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model served as a theoretical model during the review process and data synthesis.

Findings/results: One hundred and four articles were selected for inclusion in this review after a comprehensive review of 1828 manuscripts. Articles were diverse in scope and populations addressed. Land-vulnerable persons (either due to occupation or geographic location), Indigenous persons, children, older adults, and climate migrants were among the vulnerable populations whose mental health was most impacted by climate change. The most prevalent mental health responses to climate change included solastalgia, suicidality, depression, anxiety/eco-anxiety, PTSD, substance use, insomnia, and behavioral disturbance.

Conclusions: Mental health professionals including physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other healthcare providers have the opportunity to mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations through assessment, preventative education and care. An inclusive and trauma-informed response to climate-related disasters, use of validated measures of mental health, and a long-term therapeutic relationship that extends beyond the immediate consequences of climate change-related events are approaches to successful mental health care in a climate-changing world.

Keywords: anxiety; climate change and health; ecoanxiety; mental health; post-traumatic stress disorder; solastalgia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Climate Change and Mental Health and Wellness Conceptual Framework [3]
Figure 1
Climate Change and Mental Health and Wellness Conceptual Framework [3].
Study Flow Diagram
Figure 2
Study Flow Diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. McMichael AJ, Woodruff RE, Hales S. Climate change and human health: Present and future risks. Lancet. 2006; 367: 859–69. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68079-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Watts N, Amann M, Arnell N, et al. The 2019 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate. Lancet. 2019; 394: 1836–78. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32596-6 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crimmins A, Balbus J, Gamble JL, et al. The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: A scientific assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program; 2016. DOI: 10.7930/J0R49NQX - DOI
    1. Kumar Padhy S, Sarkar S, Panigrahi M, Paul S. Mental health effects of climate change. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2015; 19: 3. DOI: 10.4103/0019-5278.156997 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nicholas PK, Breakey S. The economics of climate change and the intersection with conflict, violence, and migration: Implications for the nursing profession. Nurs Econ. 2019; 37: 23–34.

Publication types