WHO: Risks to mental health caused by climate change

Extreme weather events harmfully affect mental health and well-being, including distress, anxiety, depression, grief and sometimes suicidal behavior, said the World Health Organization (WHO) in a policy brief on Friday. The brief calls for considering the serious risks to mental health caused by climate change and supports what had been reported in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in February 2021.

“The impacts of climate change are increasingly part of our daily lives, and there is very little dedicated mental health support available for people and communities dealing with climate-related hazards and long-term risk,” said Maria Neira, director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO, at the conference.

However, the world is suffering from a shortage of mental health services. “There are nearly 1 billion people living with mental health conditions, yet in low- and middle-income countries, three out of four do not have access to needed services,” said Dévora Kestel, director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, and the need for mental health services will increase with time. The rates of suicide increase by 23% when compared to before and after a disaster, according to a study conducted by Delaware University.

WHO’s policy brief suggested a bundle of recommendations for governments to approach the mental health impact of climate change. WHO urges governments to integrate mental health in climate change action plans and to consider climate change in their mental health programs. 

WHO also encourages governments to support mental health funds to cope with the new needs, and they should develop communal approaches to reduce vulnerability.

So far, nine countries out of 95 have included mental health and psychology support in their plans for facing consequences from climate change, the 2021 WHO Health and Climate Change Survey Report revealed.

WHO praised the experience of the Philippines in improving mental health services after the impact of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, in addition to India, which is working on mental health issues while responding to climate change risks.