Climate change will continue to affect human health unless action is taken to reverse the damage.
Anyone who pays attention to the world of mental health and the research that is done in this area understands that mental health issues impact nearly every part of life. Not only that, but mental health challenges can stem from plenty of places, including those that are out of a person’s control. One such factor that may be linked to poor mental health is the ongoing climate change disaster that is impacting people around the globe. Although that is an issue that is being faced on a worldwide scale, it seems that it can harm the mental health of individuals, adding to the list of reasons that it needs to be confronted and corrected as soon as possible.
The research in question here was actually a collection of various studies that have been performed related to mental health and climate change. While this is a relatively new field, of course, since climate change is such a modern topic, there are not yet many long-standing studies or data points to rely on. With that said, it does seem that some interventions are showing promise in helping people who are dealing with climate-related mental health challenges to get some relief and overcome their difficulties.
Everything in this field has to be viewed through the lens of caution, because there is relatively little data or history to work with. With that said, some good outcomes have been seen with programs like Katatagan and SOLAR. The Katatagan program is in the Philippines, while the SOLAR program – used in Tuvalu – offers Skills for Life Adjustment and Resilience. The details of the programs offered will vary from place to place, but it is seen that by offering some form of support in areas that have been hit particularly hard by climate change, improvements are possible for the population as a whole.
It is important to note that climate change also has very real implications on physical health, in addition to its ability to impact mental health. Because of what is happening to the climate, more people than ever before are facing problems with hunger and access to safe drinking water, as climate changes have made those resources harder to access for people in some places. Also, the increasing intensity of storms that are impacting people around the globe put entire populations at risk when things like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more arrive.
Two of the biggest issues facing humans today are climate change and mental health. The fact that it looks like these two intersect really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given the powerful role that they play in the modern world. Ideally, the reality that climate change is influencing mental health should lead people to take immediate action not only to slow or reverse climate change, but also to make more services and resources available to address mental health problems. Only time will tell if that will be the case.
Sources:
Innovative interventions combat mental health impacts of climate change
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