Mental Health Climate Change
• Tools
Connecting Climate Minds
Connecting Climate Minds is a global project to bridge critical gaps in research and action at the intersection of mental health and climate change.
WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Mental Health
Environmental degradation impacts mental health through increased frequency and severity of diseases, disorders, and distress while reducing modifiers that promote well-being, such as nutrition and social capital.
Studies illuminate both the mental health benefits of exposure to nature and the harms—including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, PTSD, and suicide—that have been linked to environmental degradation. While more research is needed, a growing evidence base explores the mental health dimensions of global environmental change.
Global environmental change negatively impacts mental health through various mechanisms, ranging from the direct effects of extreme weather events to the long-term consequences of disrupted livelihoods, food and water insecurity, and dislocation. Other studies have linked exposure to high levels of heat to sleep loss, and associated particulate air pollution and higher rates of postpartum depression. Awareness of the degradation of Earth systems is associated with eco-anxiety or solastalgia. We also know that these mental health effects are disproportionately experienced by certain communities including Indigenous peoples, low-income individuals, children, older adults, individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses, among others.
At the same time, it is important to note the benefits of spending time in nature. A review of randomized control trials shows that nature-based interventions improve depressive mood, reduce anxiety, and reduce negative affect. Better understanding of both these risks and benefits could meaningfully inform resource management decisions and urban design to mitigate the mental health impacts of environmental change.
See Also
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health
Measuring planetary eco-emotions: A systematic review of currently available instruments and their psychometric properties. Current Psychology.
• Research & Reports
Mental Health Climate Change
Experiences of extreme weather and mental health in climate-vulnerable communities: Results from a large-scale survey of women living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Springer Nature Link.
• Research & Reports
Mental Health Noncommunicable Diseases
Tackling Noise Pollution in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: Planetary Health Benefits Towards a Net-Zero Future. Oxford Open Climate Change.
The article highlights noise pollution as a major Planetary Health issue, linking transport noise to cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health impacts. It urges integrating noise considerations into climate, transport, housing, and environmental policies.
• News
Mental Health Nutritional Diseases
The Interplay Between Mindful Eating, Climate Change Awareness, and Psychological Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Food Science & Nutrition.
Researchers explore the links between mindful eating, Mediterranean diet adherence, climate change awareness, and psychological well-being. Findings show mindful eating and awareness improve well-being, while Mediterranean diet adherence unexpectedly predicts lower well-being, underscoring complex interactions between sustainability, diet, and mental health.
• Research & Reports
Mental Health Air Pollution
Air pollution (particulate matter) exposure and associations with depression, anxiety, bipolar, psychosis and suicide risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Health Perspectives.
• Research & Reports
News Related to Mental Health
Upcoming Documentary Explores How Personal Burnout Mirrors a Deeper Ecological Crisis
