Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review

IntroductionImpacts of climate change on human health receive increasing attention. However, the connections of climate change with well-being and mental health are still poorly understood.ObjectiveAs part of the Horizon Europe project TRIGGER, we aim to deepen the understanding of the relationships...

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Main Authors: Karolin Rückle, Mario Rohrer, Barbara Mihók, Maria Johansson, Hanna Andersson, Muhammad Saleem Pomee, Eleni Vergadi, Glykeria Rouva, Apoorv Agrawal, Balint Balázs, Erika Brattich, Maria Carelli, Claudia De Luca, Silvana Di Sabatino, Sruthi Krishnan V, Anna Molter, Francesco Pilla, Paolo Ruggieri, Anna Scolobig, Elke Hertig
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1601871/full
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author Karolin Rückle
Mario Rohrer
Barbara Mihók
Barbara Mihók
Maria Johansson
Hanna Andersson
Muhammad Saleem Pomee
Eleni Vergadi
Glykeria Rouva
Apoorv Agrawal
Balint Balázs
Erika Brattich
Maria Carelli
Claudia De Luca
Silvana Di Sabatino
Sruthi Krishnan V
Anna Molter
Francesco Pilla
Paolo Ruggieri
Anna Scolobig
Elke Hertig
author_facet Karolin Rückle
Mario Rohrer
Barbara Mihók
Barbara Mihók
Maria Johansson
Hanna Andersson
Muhammad Saleem Pomee
Eleni Vergadi
Glykeria Rouva
Apoorv Agrawal
Balint Balázs
Erika Brattich
Maria Carelli
Claudia De Luca
Silvana Di Sabatino
Sruthi Krishnan V
Anna Molter
Francesco Pilla
Paolo Ruggieri
Anna Scolobig
Elke Hertig
author_sort Karolin Rückle
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionImpacts of climate change on human health receive increasing attention. However, the connections of climate change with well-being and mental health are still poorly understood.ObjectiveAs part of the Horizon Europe project TRIGGER, we aim to deepen the understanding of the relationships between climate change and human mental health and well-being in Europe by focusing on environmental and socio-individual determinants.MethodsThis study is a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA guidelines using Embase, Medline and Web of Science.Results143 records were retrieved. The results show that climate change and its specific hazards (air pollution, floods, wildfires, meteorological variables, and temperature extremes) impact human well-being and mental health.DiscussionMental health and well-being outcomes are complex, extremely individual, and can be long lasting. Determinants like the living surrounding, human’s life activities as well as socio-individual determinants alter the linkage between climate change and mental health. The same determinant can exert both a pathogenic and a salutogenic effect, depending on the outcome. Knowing the effects of the determinants is of high relevance to improve resilience. Several pathways were identified. For instance, higher level of education and female gender lead to perceiving climate change as a bigger threat but increase preparedness to climate hazards. Elderly, children and adolescents are at higher risks of mental health problems. On the other hand, social relation, cohesiveness and support from family and friends are generally protective. Green and blue spaces improve well-being and mental health. Overall, comparing the different hazard-outcome relationships is difficult due to varying definitions, measurement techniques, spatial and temporal range, scales, indicators and population samples.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/home, identifier CRD42023426758.
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spelling doaj-art-8f33cfb2e69e4ab6bd7d42b73c1724852025-08-20T03:47:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-08-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.16018711601871Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic reviewKarolin Rückle0Mario Rohrer1Barbara Mihók2Barbara Mihók3Maria Johansson4Hanna Andersson5Muhammad Saleem Pomee6Eleni Vergadi7Glykeria Rouva8Apoorv Agrawal9Balint Balázs10Erika Brattich11Maria Carelli12Claudia De Luca13Silvana Di Sabatino14Sruthi Krishnan V15Anna Molter16Francesco Pilla17Paolo Ruggieri18Anna Scolobig19Elke Hertig20Regional Climate Change and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, GermanyInstitute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandEnvironmental Social Science Research (ESSRG) Group Nonprofit Ltd, Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Ecological Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Szeged, Szeged, HungaryEnvironmental Psychology, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University, Lund, SwedenEnvironmental Psychology, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University, Lund, SwedenRegional Climate Change and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, GermanyDepartment of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, GreeceSpatial Dynamics Lab, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandEnvironmental Social Science Research (ESSRG) Group Nonprofit Ltd, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyInstitutes for Comprehensive Cancer Patient Care and Research (IRCCS) Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy0Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalySpatial Dynamics Lab, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSpatial Dynamics Lab, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSpatial Dynamics Lab, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandDepartment of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyInstitute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandRegional Climate Change and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, GermanyIntroductionImpacts of climate change on human health receive increasing attention. However, the connections of climate change with well-being and mental health are still poorly understood.ObjectiveAs part of the Horizon Europe project TRIGGER, we aim to deepen the understanding of the relationships between climate change and human mental health and well-being in Europe by focusing on environmental and socio-individual determinants.MethodsThis study is a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA guidelines using Embase, Medline and Web of Science.Results143 records were retrieved. The results show that climate change and its specific hazards (air pollution, floods, wildfires, meteorological variables, and temperature extremes) impact human well-being and mental health.DiscussionMental health and well-being outcomes are complex, extremely individual, and can be long lasting. Determinants like the living surrounding, human’s life activities as well as socio-individual determinants alter the linkage between climate change and mental health. The same determinant can exert both a pathogenic and a salutogenic effect, depending on the outcome. Knowing the effects of the determinants is of high relevance to improve resilience. Several pathways were identified. For instance, higher level of education and female gender lead to perceiving climate change as a bigger threat but increase preparedness to climate hazards. Elderly, children and adolescents are at higher risks of mental health problems. On the other hand, social relation, cohesiveness and support from family and friends are generally protective. Green and blue spaces improve well-being and mental health. Overall, comparing the different hazard-outcome relationships is difficult due to varying definitions, measurement techniques, spatial and temporal range, scales, indicators and population samples.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/home, identifier CRD42023426758.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1601871/fullclimate changeextreme eventsmental healthwell-beingsystematic review
spellingShingle Karolin Rückle
Mario Rohrer
Barbara Mihók
Barbara Mihók
Maria Johansson
Hanna Andersson
Muhammad Saleem Pomee
Eleni Vergadi
Glykeria Rouva
Apoorv Agrawal
Balint Balázs
Erika Brattich
Maria Carelli
Claudia De Luca
Silvana Di Sabatino
Sruthi Krishnan V
Anna Molter
Francesco Pilla
Paolo Ruggieri
Anna Scolobig
Elke Hertig
Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
Frontiers in Psychiatry
climate change
extreme events
mental health
well-being
systematic review
title Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
title_full Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
title_fullStr Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
title_short Determinants and relationships of climate change, climate change hazards, mental health, and well-being: a systematic review
title_sort determinants and relationships of climate change climate change hazards mental health and well being a systematic review
topic climate change
extreme events
mental health
well-being
systematic review
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1601871/full
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