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Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal Rural mental health impacts of climate change

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Berry HL, Kelly BJ, Hanigan IC, Coates JH, McMichael AJ, Welsh JA, Kjellstrom T
2008
Commissioned Report for the Garnaut Climate Change Review
Australian National University (Canberra, Australia)

This paper considers how climate change may affect rural Australian mental health. Rural Australians live with various systematic disadvantages and many feel marginalised; climate change, especially drought, has worsened this. With drier conditions and more sever droughts expected in much of southern and eastern Australia over coming decades, and the demands for change and adaptation that this will present, we urgently need to understand the likely consequences for the mental health and wellbeing of people in rural Australia. Existing knowledge can guide us through understanding likely mental health impacts of acute environmental events, such as natural disasters, but less is known about what chronic long-term environmental changes, such as drought, have brought in recent years. While we know how community and social factors affect mental health, and how best to help people cope with change or respond to health risks, we will need to apply such knowledge to this novel issue of climate change. In the expectation of more and generally worse adverse weather events, policy for rual mental health will need to (i) plan for consistent, long-term sustainability and adaptation, no reacting to each event as if it occurs in isolation, and (ii) be aware that social and ecnoomic factors -- which climate change will affect -- shape mental health.

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Resource Description

    Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Security, Meteorological Factor, Temperature, Water Security
    • Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Security, Meteorological Factor, Temperature, Water Security: Drought
    • Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Security, Meteorological Factor, Temperature, Water Security: Crop/Plant Food Security, Livestock/Game Food Security
    • Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Security, Meteorological Factor, Temperature, Water Security: Heat
    Rural
    Non-United States
    • Non-United States: Australasia
    Injury, Mental Health and Well-Being
    • Injury, Mental Health and Well-Being: Mood Disorder
    Cost/Economic Impact Prediction, Other Model/Methodology Type, Specify
    • Cost/Economic Impact Prediction, Other Model/Methodology Type, Specify: discussion only
    Review Article
    Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population
    • Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: Adaptation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm, Intervention, Resilience, Vulnerability Assessment
    • Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: Mitigation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm
    • Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: Workers
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