Survey On Impact Of Climate Change On Human Health

Survey On Impact Of Climate Change On Mental Health

By: Amna Iftikhar

Introduction:

Throughout history, climate and weather have had an impact on human health. The environment that gives us clean air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, shelter to live in, and security to live in is affected by changes in climate and climate variability, notably changes in weather extremes. The health and well-being of people are at risk from climate change and other natural and man-made stressors in many different ways.

The concepts of climate and weather are often confused. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place. Severe weather conditions include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and droughts. Climate is the average weather conditions that persist over multiple decades or longer. While the weather can change in minutes or hours, identifying a change in climate has required observations over a time period of decades to centuries or longer. Climate change encompasses both increases and decreases in temperature as well as shifts in precipitation, changing risks of certain types of severe weather events, and changes to other features of the climate system.

Warming temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, an increase in the frequency or severity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels are all effects of climate change. Though those in developing nations may be most at risk for health problems worldwide, climate change poses serious concerns to health even in developed countries. Risks are higher for several groups, including children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and those with poor incomes.

Mental health is a key component of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. More elegantly and pragmatically, mental health may be considered a person’s ability to think, to learn, and to live with his or her own emotions and the reactions of others. Mental health problems are part of this continuum of mental health. They differ in their causes, symptoms, effects and treatment, but are all characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour, and associated distress or impaired functioning. Environmental factors are becoming increasingly important in psychiatry due to the fact that they can induce congenital defects, impair neurodevelopment, even trigger endogenous mental disorders as well arouse psychosomatic and neurological disorders.

Some mental health problems are uncommon (such as schizophrenia, other psychoses, bipolar disorder and some anxiety and personality disorders), some are common (including depression and other mood disorders, some anxiety disorders, psychological distress, substance use and eating disorders, dementia and other forms of cognitive decline), and all may be severe and enduring. Different types of extreme weather events appear to relate to somewhat different mental health impacts, particularly at onset. The link between extreme anxiety reactions (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD) and acute weather disasters, such as floods (the most common disaster at global level), forest fires, heat waves and cyclones, is well established, as are the emergency and other response procedures that are deployed when they occur.

Physical health, mental health, human well-being, and climate change appear to be specifically interconnected. Heat stress directly caused by heat waves has been associated with mood disorders, anxiety, and related consequences. There are health issues that emerged or worsened after hurricanes due to psychological stress: increase in rates of cardiovascular diseases, prenatal maternal stress and depression, infants more likely to experience anxiety, fear and sadness, and less responsive to pleasant stimuli , lack of insurance possibly increasing chronic illnesses with no access to medical care during a disaster ,population exposures to contaminated floodwaters.

Aim of the survey

The aim of this survey is to investigate the relationship between climate change and its impact on mental health. By collecting data and insights from respondents, we seek to understand the extent to which climate change affects individuals’ mental well-being and identify potential coping mechanisms or interventions.

Objectives of the survey

·         To Determine the level of awareness and concern among individuals regarding climate change and its potential mental health implications.

·         Explore the emotional responses of individuals to climate change, including feelings of anxiety, depression, or eco-anxiety.

·         Identify the strategies individuals use to cope with climate change-related stress or anxiety, such as seeking support, engaging in activism, or practicing mindfulness.

 

References

Balbus, J., Crimmins, A., Gamble, J. L., Easterling, D., Kunkel, K., Saha, S., & Sarofim, M. C. (2016). Climate change and human health. The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: A scientific assessment, 25-42.

https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-human-health

Berry, H. L., Bowen, K., & Kjellstrom, T. (2010). Climate change and mental health: a causal pathways framework. International journal of public health, 55, 123-132.

Cianconi, P., Betrò, S., & Janiri, L. (2020). The impact of climate change on mental health: a systematic descriptive review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 74.

Charlson, F., Ali, S., Benmarhnia, T., Pearl, M., Massazza, A., Augustinavicius, J., & Scott, J. G. (2021). Climate change and mental health: a scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), 4486.