GLOBALLY, the connection between climate change and mental health and psychosocial wellbeing has been discussed mainly within the health frameworks of emergency and disaster management, particularly in extreme weather conditions.
A study conducted by Associate Professor Dr Siti Hafsyah Idris under independent think-tank Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA)'s Policy Development Programme (MPDP) indicated that there has been no research on how to influence policy or what form the policy should take in strengthening the community's mental capacity to cope with climate impacts.
For instance, the Malaysian National Policy on Climate Change acknowledges that the effects of climate change could affect human wellbeing and the environment. Nevertheless, the policy does not explicitly mention mental health.
Malaysia has experienced drought, landslides and storm surges – the large majority of its losses are attributable to flooding. Our climate also makes this country particularly vulnerable to vector-borne diseases.
Financial losses and food shortages stemming from floods usually cause an immediate effect on people's stress levels. Often the focus of such disaster has been on physical losses.
Nevertheless, psychological effects of natural disasters are equally important and need much attention.
The 2021 floods in Malaysia, for example, resulted in RM6.1 billion in property losses and displaced an estimated 71,000 people, with 54 deaths.
Almost everyone who suffered damage during the floods has undergone some form of psychological distress, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
This should serve as a lesson to us that the effects tend to be short-term in nature. For instance, support from families, friends, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government agencies are offered only during the incident. After that, those affected by floods are left on their own.
In other words, there is no mechanism or support to converge climate, disaster management and mental health.
Findings in Dr Siti Hafsyah's study show that the existing climate-change policies and regulatory mechanisms to address public health, including mental health, do not encompass the issues of climate-change effects on mental health.
Low-income families, the minorities and underserved populations often are on the frontline of the impacts of climate change and sea-level rises and can be made even more vulnerable by poverty, linguistic isolation and poor infrastructure.
Also, there is a pressing need for mental health practitioners in Malaysia to be better informed about identifying symptoms and providing appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, there have been no significant steps to include climate change in professional training or the curriculum.
Malaysia has yet to introduce a policy comprehensively addressing climate- or eco-anxiety.
A clear policy is needed, given the increasing number of people experiencing climate anxiety, which can lead to mental health issues.
Ecological grief and eco-anxiety are terms used to describe the sense of loss or the anxiety people feel, including the loss of their loved ones during a disaster or the loss of their future.
Emotional burnouts and despairs will only falter sustainability and their future.
To tackle the climate crisis effectively, there is a need for structural changes across all levels of society, including government policies, corporations and individual behaviour, in line with the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
The impact of climate change on human health is compounding, necessitating a comprehensive approach.
It is imperative to integrate climate risk into surveillance systems and implement climate-informed response measures for key risks such as extreme heat and infectious disease as longer-term impacts of rising temperatures, drought and flooding can increase the risk of not only anxiety but also depression, bipolar disorder, cognitive function impairment, interpersonal aggression and other mental health impacts.
It is time for us to start integrating climate considerations with mental health programmes or mental health support with climate action.
Community-based approaches should be developed to reduce vulnerabilities.
One good example is the Philippines government's move to improve its mental health services after the impact of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Or in India, where a national project has been introduced to scale up disaster risk reduction and in preparing the country to respond to climate risks and address mental health and psychosocial needs.
It is also necessary to address financing gaps for health adaptation and resilience.
By taking a multi-faceted approach, we can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on human health and ensure a safer, healthier future for all.
The writer is research analyst, Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA)