Integrating mental health into climate change adaptation policies

This report was commissioned by United for Global Mental Health in collaboration with the Climate Cares Centre at Imperial College London to better understand the extent to which mental health has been integrated into national adaptation policies.

Headlines

• Climate change is negatively affecting the mental health of people across the world.
• Climate action, however, creates co-beneficial opportunities for mental health.
• Climate adaptation has a crucial role to play in ensuring better preparedness, prevention, and response to climate change and its impacts on mental health.
• However, mental health was not included in the majority of national adaptation policies (58%) and when included, it was often mentioned superficially and/or with no corresponding adaptation action.

Key recommendations

This report recommends policymakers working on national adaptation policies:

• Recognise the diverse negative impacts of climate change on mental health, including the increased risks certain groups with specific vulnerabilities may face.
• Monitor the mental health impacts of climate change and any mental health risks and co-benefits of adaptation at the national level to ensure appropriate and effective adaptation responses.
• Ensure specific adaptation actions are planned and implemented to protect and promote good mental health, as well as to prevent and manage mental health problems.
• Identify the many co-benefits to mental health that appropriate adaptation measures and actions can have.
• Ensure appropriate financing is available for the integration of mental health into adaptation efforts.
• Recognise that many places may be unable to fully adapt to climate change, resulting in significant losses and damages among people and communities. Therefore, appropriate mental health and psychosocial support needs to be resourced and provided to affected populations immediately.
• Build collaborative, cross-sector partnerships – including with communities – that combine diverse forms of expertise to inform the design, delivery, and evaluation of efforts to integrate mental health into adaptation.