Association between climate change awareness-related psychological distress and mental health in people with psychiatric diagnoses or subclinical symptoms: a scoping review

Background

The awareness of climate change as a global environmental threat through media consumption and/or social interaction can have a psychological impact on people’s mental health. However, little is known about the association between climate change awareness-related psychological distress (CCARPD) and mental health in people with psychiatric diagnoses or subclinical symptoms.

Methods

A comprehensive and systematic literature search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and CENTRAL electronic databases (from inception to February 2025) was conducted, without language restriction, for articles assessing the association between CCARPD and the mental well-being of people in the general and psychiatric populations.

Results

Twenty-eight thousand forty-seven reports were retrieved. Of these, 67 met the inclusion criteria (64 general and 3 psychiatric population studies). The overall correlation between CCARPD and mental health measurements (ranging from subclinical symptoms to clinical diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or stress) was positive and of weak-to-moderate strength. Nevertheless, higher psychological distress due to the awareness of climate change was found in those having more severe mental health problems.

Conclusions

Although most studies have found small-to-moderate correlations between CCARPD and mental health measurements, it can be distressing and damaging for those with more severe mental health problems. As CCARPD will increase globally as the climate crisis unfolds in the coming decades while the understanding of the connections between CCARPD and mental well-being is still at an early stage of development, more research will be of utmost relevance, particularly in psychiatric populations.