Climate change poses serious risks to mental health and well-being. The alert is part of a new set of policies by the World Health Organization (WHO), launched this Friday (3) at the Stockholm+50 conference.
The WHO urges countries to include support for mental health in their response to the climate crisis, citing examples where some pioneering countries have done so effectively.
According to the WHO, the results coincide with a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in February this year. The IPCC revealed that rapidly growing climate change poses a growing threat to individuals’ mental health and well-being, including issues such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, grief and threat to life.
“The impacts of climate change are increasingly a part of our daily lives, and there is very little dedicated mental health support available to people and communities dealing with climate-related hazards and long-term risks,” said Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, in a statement.
Mental health risks
The impacts of climate change on mental health are unevenly distributed with certain groups disproportionately affected, depending on factors such as socioeconomic status, gender and age.
However, according to the WHO, climate change affects many of the social determinants that are already leading to huge mental health burdens globally. A 2021 WHO survey of 95 countries revealed that only nine so far have included mental health and psychosocial support in their national health and climate change plans.
“The impact of climate change is exacerbating an already extremely challenging situation for mental health and mental health services around the world. There are almost 1 billion people living with mental health problems, but in low- and middle-income countries, 3 out of 4 do not have access to necessary services,” said Dévora Kestel, Director of the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. .
“By increasing mental health and psychosocial support in disaster risk reduction and climate action, countries can do more to help protect those most at risk.”
The new WHO policy brief recommends five approaches for governments to address the mental health impacts of climate change:
- Integrating climate considerations with mental health programs
- Integrating mental health support with climate action
- Build on global commitments
- Develop community-based approaches to reduce vulnerabilities
- Closing the large funding gap that exists for mental health and psychosocial support
“WHO Member States have made it very clear that mental health is a priority for them. We are working closely with countries to protect people’s physical and mental health from climate threats,” said Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, WHO climate leader and lead author on the IPCC.
The WHO cites examples such as the Philippines, which rebuilt and improved mental health services after the impact of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and India, where a national project scaled up disaster risk reduction in the country while preparing cities for respond to climate risks and address psychosocial and mental health needs.
The Stockholm Conference commemorates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and recognizes the importance of environmental determinants for physical and mental health.
Source: CNN Brasil
