Mental Health And Climate Change?

How does Extreme Weather Events Affect Mental Health?*

• Climate change and related disasters cause anxiety-related responses as well as chronic and severe mental health disorders
• Flooding and prolonged droughts have been associated with elevated levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders
• Extreme weather events have also been associated with increases in aggressive behavior and domestic violence
• exposure to extreme heat may lead to increased use of alcohol to cope with stress, increases in hospital and emergency room admissions for people with mental health or psychiatric conditions, and an increase in suicide

The need for mental health services increases in the aftermath of a climate-related disaster

Who Is Affected by Climate Change?

Some people are more vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change, including children, the elderly, the chronically ill, people with cognitive or mobility impairments, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with mental illness. People of lower socioeconomics status, migrants, refugees and the homeless may also be more vulnerable.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, population migration linked to climate change is already happening. Each year since 2008, an average of more than 20 million people are forced to move because of weather-related events, such as floods, storms, wildfires or extreme temperature. Many other are leaving their homes because of slower moving events, such as droughts or costal erosion.

Mental health can also be affected by other impacts of climate change, including food scarcity or food quality issues, potential increases in diseases transmitted by insects (such as Lyme disease and malaria) and air pollution.

Does your mood get affected by the climate change?

*The American Psychiatric Association (APA)

LAMSA’s note: Thank you Dr Mayada Chammas El-Helou for your collaboration