The impact of climate change on psychiatric decompensation: A case report using the climate biopsychosocial framework

Introduction

Anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions are warming the planet quickly, leading to climatic instability and more extreme weather events that impact patient health.

Case Reports

This case study examines a 44-year-old Asian-American male patient with bipolar disorder who decompensated psychiatrically associated with the impacts of two sequential climate-change fueled natural disasters.

Discussion

The classic biopsychosocial (BPS) model was developed during our previous era of climatic stability and is limited in its ability to describe the variables that caused the patient in this case report to decompensate. We introduce a Climate Biopsychosocial (CBPS) model to account for climate change’s enormous impact on patient health.

Conclusion

The CBPS model is a framework that expands patient care and research pathways.