Table 2.

Relationships of climate change (hazards) and mental health and well-being outcomes.

Environmental Determinants

1. The learning environment (education) plays a role with respect to exposure and vulnerability. Persons with higher education tend to evaluate climate change as a higher risk and concern, yet education supports better preparedness and less helplessness in tackling climate change especially in females (23, 24, 33, 144, 147, 153). 2. Green and blue spaces can enhance mental health, while grey spaces and higher urbanicity tend to have pathogenic impacts (38, 39, 42–44, 55). Around 42 studies addressed the mediation potential or impact of the physical surrounding on mental health and well-being, which makes the physical surrounding the most frequently addressed determinant.

Socio-individual determinants

3. Age and gender are relevant determinants for all exposures. In this regard, females are at higher risk than males (32, 33, 126, 131, 134, 156). Females do worry more and have higher concerns about climate change than men (32, 33) and generally have a higher risk perception than men of the same age (147). Furthermore, they are of higher risk of mental diseases as well as peri- and posttraumatic stress in the context of floods (131). 4. Social determinants are in close relation to personal determinants (e.g., gender, age, coping strategies, how vulnerable one views oneself) and are contributing factors for depression and stress-related disorders. Factors like social support, network, relation, cohesiveness and support from family and friends are in general protective variables (37, 47, 125, 129, 143, 148). 5. Financial strains and lower income are risk factors for mental health after floods and act as determinants in the relationship of air pollution and quality of life linked through often higher pollution in the residential area (71, 119, 126, 127).