Debate

Hope, despair and transformation: Climate change and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing

Jessica G Fritze^4,5* , Grant A Blashki^1,2* , Susie Burke^3* and John Wiseman^5*

¹  Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia

²  Visiting Fellow at National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

³  Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

⁴  Research Fellow, McCaughey Centre: VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

⁵  Director, McCaughey Centre: VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

International Journal of Mental Health Systems 2008, 2:13doi:10.1186/1752-4458-2-13

Published:	17 September 2008

Abstract

Background

This article aims to provide an introduction to emerging evidence and debate about the relationship between climate change and mental health.

Discussion and Conclusion

The authors argue that:

i) the direct impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events will have significant mental health implications;

ii) climate change is already impacting on the social, economic and environmental determinants of mental health with the most severe consequences being felt by disadvantaged communities and populations;

iii) understanding the full extent of the long term social and environmental challenges posed by climate change has the potential to create emotional distress and anxiety; and

iv) understanding the psycho-social implications of climate change is also an important starting point for informed action to prevent dangerous climate change at individual, community and societal levels.