Mental health support to be part of climate action plans
Source: Asia Insurance Review | Jul 2022
Mental health support must be included in all national responses to climate change according to World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO in a new policy brief has said that climate change poses serious risks to people’s mental health and wellbeing. This concurs with a report published in February by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The IPCC study had revealed that rapidly increasing climate change is a rising threat to mental health and psychosocial well-being, from emotional distress to anxiety, depression, grief and suicidal behaviour.
WHO director of environment, climate change and health Maria Neira said, “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.”
The mental health impacts of climate change are unequally distributed, with certain groups disproportionately affected depending on factors such as socioeconomic status, gender and age.
WHO said it was clear that climate change affects many of the social determinants that already are leading to massive mental health burdens globally. Out of 95 countries surveyed in 2021, only nine have included mental health and psychosocial support in their national health and climate change plans. A