Written by:
Dr Rachael E. Williams
How climate change affects mental health in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: gaps, barriers and concrete actions needed.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) experience some of the most devastating impacts of health effects of climate change, especially on mental health.
Why should we care about climate change and mental health?
The world economy loses US $1 trillion a year due to lost productivity caused by two of the most prevalent mental illnesses, depression and anxiety. Before 2020, median spending on mental health services in the Americas (which includes Caribbean SIDS) was only 2% of total government health spending! The burden associated with mental disorders is six times more than the portion of healthcare spending allocated to mental health.[1]
Acute climate change events like hurricanes can cause displacement due to loss of habitable land and result in eco-anxiety, helplessness, worry and fear, which can significantly affect a population’s mental health. One of many such examples was the impact of tropical storm Erika on the SIDS Dominica. August 2015, Erika within hours brought fifteen inches of rain and flash floods which claimed lives, washed away roads and bridges, and destroyed houses and entire villages. There was no water or electricity for months, and teams were sent to assist persons experiencing mental trauma caused by this climate event. It should be noted that the magnitude of damage caused was by a tropical storm and not by a category five hurricane which hit Dominica 2 years later, i.e. Maria. To date, they are still recovering from both events. [2]
Despite these severe mental health effects, major research gaps exist in research on the relationship between mental health and climate change in SIDS. What types of studies have been conducted in Caribbean SIDS on the effects of climate change events on mental health?
Key Factors Influencing Climate-Related Mental Health Impacts
The impact of a climate change event on mental health is associated with the following factors:
- The local context of culture, society, economy, and development;
- The spatial distribution of exposure.
- The type of meteorological event;
- The duration and intensity of the event; and
The anticipated severity and acuity of the associated effects on physical health and community well-being. [3]
These events can trigger acute stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Barriers to Research Progress
Five existing gaps are mentioned below on the consequences of climate change on mental health in Caribbean SIDS.
Gap 1: Lack of Studies on Public Mental Health Interventions in SIDS
There are only a few studies that focus on public mental health interventions for climate change. In disaster management, it is necessary to approach the study of mental health outcomes following a weather event from a population-level perspective. This includes examining factors such as how public policy responses, like funding changes for mental health services, can affect outcomes.
It is crucial to recognize the impact of environmental factors on mental health outcomes and implement community-based mental health interventions with individual-level interventions. [4]
Stronger monitoring and evaluation systems, including tools like Trauma Signature Analysis, which helps identify the specific psychological effects of a disaster are needed in Caribbean SIDS to help support the role of primary health care professionals and predict needs for mental health and psychosocial support.
Gap 2: Unknown Consequences of the Longitudinal Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health in SIDS
Meteorological data and population-based databases can be used to determine the long-term impacts of climate change on mental health. The study by Obradovich et al. (2018) combined mental health records with weather data to understand how past climate variations have affected people’s mental well-being. Examining the historical relationship between climatic variations and human mental health today can help future generations adapt better to climate change.
Gap 3: Inadequate Research on Mental Health and Well-Being Impacts Caused by Gradual Changes Due to Climate Change in SIDS
More research needs to be conducted on mental health and well-being impacts focusing on gradual changes due to climate change, e.g. a warmer ocean and atmosphere, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, ecosystem changes, and changes in land and freshwater.
The prevalence of major depressive disorders and suicide behavior has increased by more than 30% in recent years, making diseases of essential public health concern on a global scale.
[5] Reducing this growing trend brought on by slow changes caused by climate change would assist in addressing present and future socioeconomic expenses and health burdens in Caribbean SIDS.
Gap 4: Limited Research Conducted on the Impact of Climate Change-Related Migration on the Mental Health and Overall Well-Being of Persons Living in SIDS
Relocating/migrating can have significant impacts on mental health and well-being. This can lead to the erosion of belief systems, family ties, and local and cultural knowledge. [6] In 2023, this became relevant for the Cayman Islands, i.e., a Caribbean SIDS. The Rising Tides Departing Shores Action Plan was created to initiate this crucial dialogue on relocation with the Cayman Islands and UK governments. More people living in low lying Caribbean SIDS can become climate refugees in the future and would need help in dealing with issues like reduced self-esteem, difficulty adjusting to the new environment, and higher incidences of depression, phobias, and schizophrenia. Mental health researchers need to work together on research that focuses on narrowing this gap in the Caribbean.
Gap 5: Lack of Research on the Use of Effective Music and Spiritual Interventions as Therapeutic Options
Music interventions are a potential alternative for depression, instead of medications. [7] There haven’t been any studies yet in Caribbean SIDS to confirm if using music would be successful in dramatically lowering the incidence of depression brought on by climate change. Additionally, individuals with chronic illnesses show a strong positive association between their mental and spiritual well-being; i.e., the more robust and higher their spiritual well-being, the lower their level of psychiatric problems. [8]
Musicians, music therapists and those with theological/spiritual healing skills need to work together in the Caribbean to address this gap and help current and future generations adapt better to climate change.
In addition to the 5 research gaps mentioned above on the consequences of climate change on mental health in SIDS, 2 other problems are:
- The lack of trained mental health professionals and
- Inadequate health systems, services, training and infrastructure in Caribbean SIDS.
Conclusion-A call to action
To support skilled professionals residing in Caribbean SIDS, more educational programs and assistance from the global community are required. The International Community formally recognized SIDS as a special situation for environment and development at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 and pledged to support them in achieving their sustainable development goals. [9]
More effort from all pertinent parties is required if significant progress is to be made in addressing mental health challenges brought on by climate change in Caribbean SIDS. To address this enormous issue of mental health and climate change, this includes the medical and mental health professions, all SIDS governments, civil society, the private sector, international organizations, and environmental scientists, climatologists, trained consultants and researchers using an evidence-based decision-making approach. Additionally, there needs to be a statistically substantial improvement in the current spending on mental health, which is pitifully low in comparison to the burden of mental disease in Caribbean SIDS.
References
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