Infrastructure, clean water, clean air, stable temperature, access to energy, sanitation, hygiene, access to safe food and nutrition, transportation Economic support during extreme climate events and/or for populations affected by climate-related income loss Community engagement and social support, including the role of elders and community leaders Local, national, and international public- and private-sector relief organizations Organizations providing support and services to Indigenous persons, including established Indigenous Nations School nurses, counselors, teachers, and leaders
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Health impacts of climate change: injury, death, mental health impacts, population displacement, waterborne diseases, higher economic costs of recovery, infrastructure damage, ecosystem changes, asthma, cancer, CV, heat effects, human development effects, neurological, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (NIEHS, 2019) Solastalgia is common, and represents the myriad symptoms of climate-related psychological distress present throughout the literature Other mental health impacts include increased suicidality, depression, anxiety/eco-anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, substance use, and behavioral disturbances Median years of potential life lost in people with mental disorders: 10 years (Walker, McGee & Druss, 2015) Individuals in extreme weather have higher rates of morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) (NIEHS, 2019)
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Provider screening for suicide, depression, anxiety, substance use, and PTSD; follow-up mental health care when present Screening for the myriad symptoms that indicate solastalgia; follow-up mental health care when present Preventative care before climate events is ideal (e.g., in areas prone to routine climate events) Mental health care should be extended beyond brief post-disaster interventions, as effects of adverse events are long-lasting and insidious Psychological First Aid (before and after specific climate events) for vulnerable populations is indicated Consider a trauma-informed approach to care Validated measures should be used for symptom assessment when possible, such: Universal suicide risk screening; PHQ-2: Depression; GAD-2: Anxiety; NIDA: Substance use; Subjective Units of Distress Scale: Intensity of distress; PC-PTSD-5: PTSD (Nicholas et al., 2020)
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