In a recent publication in Nature Mental Health, Christy Denckla, assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, delves into the mental health consequences of chronic, slow-onset climate change. Denckla highlights crucial research gaps and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of how climate change, beyond acute events, impacts mental well-being.
Denckla identifies a pressing research priority as deciphering the mechanisms through which slower-moving aspects of climate change, such as temperature variability, ecosystem shifts, and alterations in precipitation, influence mental health. This understanding, she contends, is pivotal for determining when and where interventions are needed in the realms of prevention, healthcare, and policy responses.
One key observation is the disproportionate burden of adverse effects on certain populations. Denckla stresses the urgency of conducting research in settings that bear the brunt of climate-related impacts, including adolescents and children, indigenous communities, displaced migrants, economically marginalized groups, and nations at the forefront of the climate crisis, such as those in Africa and regions vulnerable to climate extremes.
Denckla challenges the prevailing trauma-based understanding of climate change’s mental health impact. She underscores the unique nature of chronic, slower-onset stressors, which accumulate over time. Instead of viewing adverse impacts as stemming from singular traumatic events, Denckla advocates for recognizing the compounded stressors affecting individuals, families, communities, and societies. This involves understanding the causal influence of long-term changes, such as melting sea ice and prolonged droughts, on mental health, as they unfold across interconnected systems.
To unravel the intricate ways chronic climate change affects mental health, Denckla suggests designing studies that utilize interview or narrative data to capture lived experiences. Additionally, she highlights the promise of studies that employ complex modeling of large datasets, integrating mental health, geography, and natural environment features, such as ambient air temperature.
Looking ahead, Denckla reveals plans for a forthcoming study employing smartphone-based data collection. The study aims to measure how people’s moods and well-being are influenced by local environmental conditions, including urban heat islands, access to green space, and population density. The objective is to comprehend the complex links between environmental exposures and individual experiences, ultimately contributing to population-level solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on mental health.
