Vafeiadou, Aikaterini; Banissy, Michael J.; Banissy, Jasmine F.M.; Higgins, Julian P.T. and Howard, Guy. 2023. The influence of climate change on mental health in populations of the western Pacific region: An umbrella scoping review. Heliyon, 9(11), e21457. ISSN 2405-8440 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

The Western Pacific Region (WPR) is on the front line of climate change challenges. Understanding how these challenges affect the WPR populations' mental health is essential to design effective prevention and care policies. Thus, the present study conducted an umbrella scoping review that examined the influence of climate change on mental health in the WPR, using review articles as a source of information. Ten review articles were selected according to eligibility criteria, and the findings were synthesized according to the socio-economic status of the countries identified: Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, the Pacific Islands (broadly), and China. The findings revealed that each country and sub-region has its own unique profile of climate change-related challenges and vulnerable populations, highlighting the need for specific approaches to mental health care. Specifically, the influence of climate-related challenges differed according to populations' region (e.g., rural populations), demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender), culture (e.g., traditional tights to land), and employment (e.g., farmers and fishers). The most frequently reported mental health outcomes in response to climate change-related challenges such as droughts, floods, storms, tornadoes, typhoons, and climate-related migration were the decline in mental well-being and the increase in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, using the GRADE framework for assessing the certainty of the findings, we identified that the number of articles discussing associations between a given climate change challenge and a mental health outcome was overall limited. Based on our findings and findings on a global scale, we identified several key research gaps in WPR and provided recommendations for future research and policy strategies.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21457
Additional Information:	Funding statement: This work was funded by the World Health Organization under an agreement for the performance of work issued in behalf of the western Pacific regional office.
Data Access Statement:	Data included in article/supplementary material/referenced in article.
Keywords:	Climate change, Mental health, Well-being, Western Pacific region
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology
Dates:	Date Event 14 April 2023 Submitted 21 October 2023 Accepted 8 November 2023 Published Online November 2023 Published
Item ID:	34539
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2024 11:46
Last Modified:	04 Jan 2024 11:46
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/34539

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