Climate change fuelling mental health crisis in areas most affected by climate crisis

The study, published in the Journal of Climate Change and Health, reveals alarmingly high levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness among adolescents in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

While climate change is often framed as an environmental issue, this research highlights its profound toll on mental health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The study, conducted in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, the Catholic University of Madagascar, University College London, and CBM Global, underscores the urgent need for mental health support to be integrated into climate adaptation efforts.

The research team, including Isabelle Mareschal from Queen Mary University of London’s School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, found that climate change is affecting adolescent mental health through three key pathways: loss of household resources, uncertainty about the future, and the breakdown of traditional coping mechanisms.

In southern Madagascar, where droughts and sandstorms have become the norm, young people are living through a daily struggle for survival. The study surveyed 83 adolescents and held focus groups with 48 participants across six rural villages in March 2024. The findings paint a stark picture: 90% of households had run out of food in the past year, and 69% of adolescents had gone an entire day without eating.

Many participants expressed deep distress over their families’ struggles, with some witnessing community members starve to death. One adolescent shared, “so many died … there were many elders, but they died because of the malnutrition.” Another simply stated, “there is no water and when sunlight is burning, we are suffering.”

Isabelle Mareschal from Queen Mary University of London emphasised the vulnerability of young people in developing countries, stating: “Young people in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This research finds that we need to also consider how climate change impacts their mental health. We hope that these findings can help inform interventions to improve mental health outcomes, with a focus on young people in low- and middle-income countries.”

The study’s lead author, Dr Kristin Hadfield of Trinity College Dublin, added: “Young people in southern Madagascar are the unwilling pioneers of the impact of climate change. They can provide important insights into the way climate changes impact on adolescent mental health. This research makes it clear that climate change is not just an environmental issue — it is a mental health issue as well.”

The research also highlights the ripple effects of climate change on education and community stability. With crops failing and water sources drying up, many adolescents are forced to leave their homes to survive, while those who remain face hunger, interrupted education, and a profound sense of despair.

Dr Nambinina Rasolomalala from the Catholic University of Madagascar described the situation starkly: “Adolescents in Androy, southern Madagascar, speak of famine, fear, and futures stolen by drought and sandstorms.”

Satry Ramaroson, Madagascar Country Director for CBM Global, echoed these concerns, noting: “Climate change is causing suffering for children and adolescents in the South of Madagascar. Recurring droughts fuel food crises and loss of hope, with adolescents with disabilities among the most affected.”