Understanding the psychological impact of flooding on older adults: A scoping review

Flooding is increasing in frequency and intensity as a function of climate change. Older populations are vulnerable to the physical and mental health impacts of flooding, having less ability to cope and fewer rescue possibilities compared to younger ages, with resulting mental health impacts. This scoping review, based on JBI Scoping Review Methodology, scoped and summarized the evidence for the psychological impacts of flooding on older adults. Electronic databases were searched for reports of direct or indirect experiences of flooding in older adults globally (mental health, well-being, emotional outcomes). Ten articles across four continents were included. Risk of bias analysis found that 80% of articles were of weak and 20% were of moderate quality. Most studies focused on depression (70%), posttraumatic stress (60%), and anxiety (20%) as outcomes. Over half considered additional impacts and protective factors. This small but growing literature base demonstrates that climate-related flooding affects the mental health of older adults, with associations between flooding, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Poor social support contributes to worse mental health outcomes, suggesting that helpful interventions might focus on enhancing resilience through building social networks. All studies reviewed were from high-income countries; more research is required with countries with lower income.