The impact of climate change on mental health in vulnerable groups: a systematic review – BMC Psychology

Report on the Mental Health Implications of Climate Change in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Global Health Challenge Undermining Sustainable Development

The escalating climate crisis presents a significant threat to global mental health, directly impeding the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-being. The failure to adequately address SDG 13 (Climate Action) creates cascading negative effects on psychological resilience and stability worldwide. A substantial body of research indicates a clear causal link between climate-related environmental changes and a range of adverse mental health outcomes. Managing these health effects is critical for ensuring that the well-being of current and future generations is not defined by a changing climate.

Causal Pathways and Documented Mental Health Outcomes

Climate change impacts mental health through multiple direct and indirect pathways. These pathways compromise progress towards SDG 3 by increasing the global burden of mental illness.

1. Acute Climate Events: Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and heatwaves are linked to immediate and long-term psychological trauma.
   • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
   • Anxiety and Depression
   • Complicated Grief
2. Chronic Climate Stressors: Gradual environmental changes, including rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and sea-level rise, contribute to sustained psychological distress.
   • Economic instability and income loss, undermining SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), particularly in agricultural communities.
   • Increased prevalence of depression, suicidal ideation, and generalized anxiety.
3. Vicarious and Anticipatory Stress: Awareness of the climate crisis and its future implications fosters unique psychological responses, especially among younger generations.
   • Eco-anxiety: A chronic fear of environmental doom.
   • Solastalgia: Distress caused by negative environmental change to a cherished home environment.

Disproportionate Impacts on Vulnerable Populations: A Challenge to SDG 10

The mental health burden of climate change is not distributed equally, exacerbating existing social and economic disparities and directly challenging SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Vulnerable populations bear a disproportionate risk due to factors such as geographic location, socioeconomic status, and systemic discrimination.

Key Vulnerable Groups

• Low-Income and Homeless Populations: Limited resources for adaptation and recovery from climate disasters intensify psychological distress, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and poor mental health that contravenes SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Minorities: Deep cultural and spiritual ties to the land make these communities uniquely susceptible to solastalgia and grief from environmental degradation. Systemic inequities and historical land dispossession compound their vulnerability, highlighting the need for climate action rooted in racial and environmental justice.
• Women and Children: Scoping reviews indicate that women and young people face specific and heightened risks of climate-related mental health impacts, including anxiety and depression. Protecting these groups is essential for achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and ensuring the well-being of future generations.
• Agricultural and Rural Communities: Farmers and rural populations are on the front lines of climate change, facing drought and unpredictable weather that threaten their livelihoods and mental well-being, directly impacting SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Individuals with Pre-existing Conditions: People with existing mental or physical health issues have a heightened susceptibility to the stressors of extreme weather events and climate instability.

Conclusion: Integrating Climate Action and Mental Health for a Sustainable Future

The evidence demonstrates that climate change is a critical social determinant of mental health. Addressing this crisis requires a systems-thinking approach that integrates policy across multiple sectors. Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is contingent upon robust implementation of SDG 13 (Climate Action). This action must include targeted public health interventions that build psychological resilience, improve access to mental healthcare services, and prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable populations. Failure to do so will not only undermine SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) but also reverse progress on goals related to poverty, inequality, and sustainable communities.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being:
   • The article’s references consistently focus on the mental health impacts of climate change. Titles like “Climate change and mental health,” “Global climate change and mental health,” and “Eco-anxiety in children and young people” directly link environmental issues to psychological well-being. The list includes studies on specific mental health outcomes such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation following climate-related events (e.g., “Depression, suicidal ideation, and resilience among rural farmers in a drought-affected area”).
2. SDG 13: Climate Action:
   • This goal is central to the entire list of references. Every cited work discusses an aspect of climate change, from its general health effects (“Managing the health effects of climate change”) to the specific impacts of climate-related disasters like heatwaves, droughts, floods, and hurricanes (“Heatwaves and public health in Europe,” “Quantifying the costs of drought,” “Mental health… Post-Hurricane María”). The articles collectively argue for the need to understand and manage the consequences of a changing climate.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities:
   • The references repeatedly highlight that the impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed. Several titles point to the disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations, which is a core concern of SDG 10. Examples include studies on “Indigenous mental health and climate change,” “Hispanic health disparities after a flood disaster,” “Race differences in depression vulnerability following Hurricane Katrina,” and the effects on low-income groups (“mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans”). This demonstrates a clear link between climate impacts and the exacerbation of social and economic inequalities.
4. SDG 1: No Poverty:
   • The connection to poverty is evident in references that discuss the intersection of climate disasters, poverty, and health. Titles such as “Mental health, life functioning and risk factors among people exposed to frequent natural disasters and chronic poverty in Vietnam” and “Flood disasters and health among the urban poor” show that climate events can worsen poverty and that those in poverty are more vulnerable to the mental and physical health impacts of these events.
5. SDG 5: Gender Equality:
   • The article specifically points to the unique vulnerabilities of women. The reference “Mental health impacts of climate change on women: a scoping review” directly addresses the gendered dimension of climate change’s effects, aligning with the goal of understanding and addressing inequalities faced by women.
6. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities:
   • Issues of housing, displacement, and the health of specific communities are discussed. References like “Climate change, weather, housing precarity, and homelessness” and “Health of the homeless and climate change” connect climate impacts to the stability and safety of human settlements, particularly for marginalized urban populations. The focus on community-level impacts after disasters like hurricanes also relates to the resilience of cities and communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.4: “By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” The articles’ extensive focus on mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and PTSD caused by climate change directly relates to the promotion of mental health and well-being.
   • Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.” The literature review on the health effects of climate change serves as a basis for understanding and managing the growing global health risks posed by climate-related disasters.
2. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The studies analyzing the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, and droughts on human health are fundamental to understanding the need for increased resilience and adaptive strategies to protect populations.
   • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.” The collection of academic papers itself contributes to this target by building a knowledge base on the mental health impacts of climate change, thereby raising awareness and informing policy.
3. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.” The articles focusing on indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities (“Hispanic health disparities”), women, children, and low-income populations highlight how climate change disproportionately affects these groups, underscoring the need to reduce these inequalities and ensure their inclusion in climate responses.
4. Under SDG 1 (No Poverty):
   • Target 1.5: “By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.” The references linking poverty with increased vulnerability to climate disasters and subsequent mental health issues directly support the rationale for this target.
5. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.” The research on the impacts of hurricanes, floods, and wildfires on communities, particularly vulnerable ones, aligns with the goal of reducing the human cost of disasters.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Prevalence of mental health disorders: The articles implicitly use the incidence and prevalence of conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety, eco-anxiety, solastalgia, and suicidal ideation as key indicators of the mental health burden from climate change. These can be measured through population health surveys post-disaster.
   • Mortality and hospitalization rates: The reference to “Heat-induced health impacts” implies that mortality and hospitalization rates related to extreme weather events are relevant indicators for physical health outcomes.
2. Indicators for SDG 1, 10, 11, and 13:
   • Number of people affected by disasters: The studies on specific events like Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Shaheen use the number of people displaced, injured, or suffering from psychological distress as a measure of a disaster’s impact. This aligns with official indicators for disaster risk reduction.
   • Disparities in health outcomes: The articles imply using disaggregated data to measure progress. Indicators would include differences in mental health prevalence rates between different racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups after a climate-related event. For example, comparing PTSD rates among different racial groups post-hurricane, as suggested by “Race differences in depression vulnerability following Hurricane Katrina.”
   • Socioeconomic status and loss: Indicators such as income loss, housing loss, and food insecurity are mentioned in titles like “Household food insecurity, income loss, and symptoms of psychological distress among adults following the Cyclone Amphan.” These serve as measures of vulnerability and the socioeconomic impact of disasters.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com