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Climate change triggers an increase in mental illnesses
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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Mental illness will rise due to climate change, The Sydney Morning Herald reports, citing a report by the Sydney Climate Institute, "Climate of Suffering: The True Cost of Living Without Climate Action."
The authors of the study believe that the loss of social cohesion in the face of extreme weather events linked to climate change may lead to increased rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse. At least one in five people surveyed in the study admitted to experiencing "emotional trauma, stress and despair" after such natural events, the newspaper writes.
"While cyclones, droughts, bushfires and floods are a familiar part of life in Australia, there is no doubt that our climate is changing," the report says. "These conditions are in line with the best scientific predictions: as it warms, weather is becoming more extreme, with serious consequences for people's health and lives." The report says the loss of social cohesion caused by job losses and job insecurity has contributed to Australia's long drought and led to an 8% increase in rural suicides. It also shows that one in 10 primary school children showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after Cyclone Larry in 2006.
According to Professor Ian Hickey, director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, the impact of climate change on social cohesion has long been underestimated, but it plays a key role in people’s mental health and is very difficult to restore. He stressed that climate change and especially extreme weather events could become a major factor influencing mental health in the future.
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