Introduction: Climate change is the primary threat to public health in the 21st century, with far-reaching and measurable adverse impacts on physical and mental health. Extreme weather events have heightened the pre-existing gender inequalities. Women confront gendered vulnerability due to factors including societal roles, resource limitations, and increased exposure to extreme weather events. This renders them more susceptible to harm, increased mortality risk, and shorter life expectancies following climate-related disasters. Despite a wealth of literature on mental health consequences, gender-specific mental health impacts of climate change remain underrepresented in research. This review aims to explore and summarise the evidence on mental health vulnerabilities affecting women amid global warming and climate change. Methods: A review of literature was conducted in line with the PRISMA flowchart across four databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science. A total of 5458 articles were identified, of which 11 were retained for analysis. Results: Adverse mental health outcomes in women were identified resulting from floods and cyclones (n = 3), gender-based violence (n = 2), humidity (n = 3) and rising temperature (n = 7). The following themes were derived: women’s mental health related to flooding and cyclones, climate-related gender-based violence, relationship between humidity and women’s mental health and impact of rising temperature/heatwaves on women’s mental health. Conclusion: This review provided evidence for the association between climate change and adverse mental health outcomes in women. These findings emphasize the need for supporting women’s engagement on climate-related decision-making and implementing gender-sensitive interventions. Further research with stronger study designs and methodologies is recommended.
Cite this paper
Bakir, M. M. T. , Jahan, N. K. and Yap, C. G. (2023). Impact of Climate Change on Women’s Mental Health: A Narrative Review. Open Access Library Journal, 10, e1070. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1111070.
Sands, P. (1992) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, 1, 270-277.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9388.1992.tb00046.x
Costello, A., Abbas, M., Allen, A., Ball, S., Bell, S., Bellamy, R., et al. (2009) Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change. Lancet and University College London Institute for Global Health Commission, 373, 1694-1732.
Watts, N., Amann, M., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Beagley, J., Belesova, K., et al. (2021) The 2020 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Responding to Converging Crises. The Lancet, 397, 129-170.
Kelishadi, R., Mirghaffari, N., Poursafa, P. and Gidding, S.S. (2009) Lifestyle and Environmental Factors Associated with Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Insulin Resistance in Children. Atherosclerosis, 203, 311-319.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2008.06.022
Miller, M.R. (2020) Oxidative Stress and the Cardiovascular Effects of Air Pollution. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 151, 69-87.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.01.004
Kelishadi, R. and Poursafa, P. (2010) Air Pollution and Non-Respiratory Health Hazards for Children. Archives of Medical Science, 4, 483-495.
https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms.2010.14458
Eze, I.C., Schaffner, E., Fischer, E., Schikowski, T., Adam, M., Imboden, M., et al. (2014) Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure and Diabetes in a Population-Based Swiss Cohort. Environment International, 70, 95-105.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.05.014
Vigo, D., Thornicroft, G. and Atun, R. (2016) Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3, 171-178.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00505-2
Ajibade, I., McBean, G. and Bezner-Kerr, R. (2013) Urban Flooding in Lagos, Nigeria: Patterns of Vulnerability and Resilience among Women. Global Environmental Change, 23, 1714-1725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.08.009
Fritze, J.G., Blashki, G.A., Burke, S. and Wiseman, J. (2008) Hope, Despair and Transformation: Climate Change and the Promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2, Article No. 13.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-2-13
Bertolote, J.M., Fleischmann, A., De Leo, D. and Wasserman, D. (2003) Suicide and Mental Disorders: Do We Know Enough? British Journal of Psychiatry, 183, 382-383. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.183.5.382
Chesney, E., Goodwin, G.M. and Fazel, S. (2014) Risks of All-Cause and Suicide Mortality in Mental Disorders: A Meta-Review. World Psychiatry, 13, 153-160.
https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20128
Kessler, R.C., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Chatterji, S., Lee, S., Ormel, J., et al. (2009) The Global Burden of Mental Disorders: An Update from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 18, 23-33.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1121189X00001421
Berry, H.L., Bowen, K. and Kjellstrom, T. (2010) Climate Change and Mental Health: A Causal Pathways Framework. International Journal of Public Health, 55, 123-132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0112-0
Higginbotham, N., Connor, L., Albrecht, G., Freeman, S. and Agho, K. (2007) Validation of an Environmental Distress Scale. EcoHealth, 3, 245-254.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-006-0069-x
Peng, Z., Wang, Q., Kan, H., Chen, R. and Wang, W. (2017) Effects of Ambient Temperature on Daily Hospital Admissions for Mental Disorders in Shanghai, China: A Time-Series Analysis. Science of the Total Environment, 590-591, 281-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.237
Wang, X., Lavigne, E., Ouellette-kuntz, H. and Chen, B.E. (2014) Acute Impacts of Extreme Temperature Exposure on Emergency Room Admissions Related to Mental and Behavior Disorders in Toronto, Canada. Journal of Affective Disorders, 155, 154-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.10.042
Hansen, A., Bi, P., Nitschke, M., Ryan, P., Pisaniello, D. and Tucker, G. (2008) The Effect of Heat Waves on Mental Health in a Temperate Australian City. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116, 1369-1375. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.11339
Nitschke, M., Tucker, G.R., Hansen, A.L., Williams, S., Zhang, Y. and Bi, P. (2011) Impact of Two Recent Extreme Heat Episodes on Morbidity and Mortality in Adelaide, South Australia: A Case-Series Analysis. Environmental Health, 10, Article No. 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-10-42
Williams, S., Nitschke, M., Weinstein, P., Pisaniello, D.L., Parton, K.A. and Bi, P. (2012) The Impact of Summer Temperatures and Heatwaves on Mortality and Morbidity in Perth, Australia 1994-2008. Environment International, 40, 33-38.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2011.11.011
Kim, Y., Kim, H. and Kim, D.S. (2011) Association between Daily Environmental Temperature and Suicide Mortality in Korea (2001-2005). Psychiatry Research, 186, 390-396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2010.08.006
Törő, K., Dunay, G., Bartholy, J., Pongrácz, R., Kis, Z. and Keller, é. (2009) Relationship between Suicidal Cases and Meteorological Conditions. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 16, 277-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2008.12.015
Tsai, J.F. and Cho, W. (2012) Temperature Change Dominates the Suicidal Seasonality in Taiwan: A Time-Series Analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 136, 412-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.11.010
Cianconi, P., Betrò, S. and Janiri, L. (2020) The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 490206. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074
Beaglehole, B., Mulder, R.T., Frampton, C.M., Boden, J.M., Newton-Howes, G. and Bell, C.J. (2018) Psychological Distress and Psychiatric Disorder after Natural Disasters: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 213, 716-722. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.210
Krug, E.G., Kresnow, M., Peddicord, J.P., Dahlberg, L.L., Powell, K.E., Crosby, A.E., et al. (1998) Suicide after Natural Disasters. New England Journal of Medicine, 338, 373-378. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199802053380607
Adams, E.A. and Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H. (2021) Stressed, Anxious, and Sick from the Floods: A Photovoice Study of Climate Extremes, Differentiated Vulnerabilities, and Health in Old Fadama, Accra, Ghana. Health & Place, 67, Article ID: 102500.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102500
Chen, N.T., Lin, P.H. and Guo, Y.L.L. (2019) Long-Term Exposure to High Temperature Associated with the Incidence of Major Depressive Disorder. Science of the Total Environment, 659, 1016-1020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.434
Chen, Y., Sun, R., Chen, X. and Qin, X. (2023) Does Extreme Temperature Exposure Take a Toll on Mental Health? Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. SSRN Electronic Journal.
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4431365
Goudet, J.M., Arif, F.B., Owais, H., Ahmed, H.U. and Ridde, V. (2023) Intersecting Vulnerabilities: Unraveling the Complex Relationship between Women, Climate Change, and Mental Health in Bangladeshi Communities.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.06.23290721
Mamun, M.A., Huq, N., Papia, Z.F., Tasfina, S. and Gozal, D. (2019) Prevalence of Depression among Bangladeshi Village Women Subsequent to a Natural Disaster: A Pilot Study. Psychiatry Research, 276, 124-128.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.05.007
Ngu, F., Kelman, I., Chambers, J. and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2021) Correlating Heatwaves and Relative Humidity with Suicide (Fatal Intentional Self-Harm). Scientific Reports, 11, Article No. 22175. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03089-y
Wahid, S.S., Raza, W.A., Mahmud, I. and Kohrt, B.A. (2023) Climate-Related Shocks and Other Stressors Associated with Depression and Anxiety in Bangladesh: A Nationally Representative Panel Study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7, E137-E146. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00315-1
Yang, Z., Yang, B., Liu, P., Zhang, Y. and Yuan, X.C. (2021) Impact of Temperature on Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China. Weather, Climate, and Society, 13, 709-727. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0038.1
Zhang, X., Chen, F. and Chen, Z. (2023) Heatwave and Mental Health. Journal of Environmental Management, 332, Article ID: 117385.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117385
Zhou, Y., Ji, A., Tang, E., Liu, J., Yao, C., Liu, X., et al. (2023) The Role of Extreme High Humidex in Depression in Chongqing, China: A Time Series-Analysis. Environmental Research, 222, Article ID: 115400.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115400
Zhu, Y., He, C., Bell, M., Zhang, Y., Fatmi, Z., Zhang, Y., et al. (2023) Association of Ambient Temperature with the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence among Partnered Women in Low- and Middle-Income South Asian Countries. JAMA Psychiatry, 80, 952-961. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1958
Watts, N., Amann, M., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Belesova, K., Berry, H., et al. (2018) The 2018 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Shaping the Health of Nations for Centuries to Come. The Lancet, 392, 2479-2514.
Perrotta, K. (2016) Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals.
https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Climate-Change-Toolkit-for-Health-Professionals-Updated-April-2019-2.pdf
Mugambiwa, S.S. and Tirivangasi, H.M. (2017) Climate Change: A Threat towards Achieving ‘Sustainable Development Goal Number Two’ (End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture) in South Africa. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 9, a350.
https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v9i1.350
Wright, M.L., Drake, D., Link, D.G. and Berg, J.A. (2023) Climate Change and the Adverse Impact on the Health and Well-Being of Women and Girls from the Women’s Health Expert Panel of the American Academy of Nursing. Nursing Outlook, 71, Article ID: 101919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101919
Ahmed, O. (2020) Integrating a Reproductive Justice Framework in Climate Research. Centre for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/integrating-reproductive-justice-framework-climate-research/
Sorensen, C., Murray, V., Lemery, J. and Balbus, J. (2018) Climate Change and Women’s Health: Impacts and Policy Directions. PLOS Medicine, 15, e1002603.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002603
Alam, K. and Rahman, M.H. (2014) Women in Natural Disasters: A Case Study from Southern Coastal Region of Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 8, 68-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.01.003
United Nations Development Programme (2007) Climate Shocks: Risk and Vulnerability in an Unequal World. Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World. 72-105.
Fatema, S. (2020) Women’s Health-Related Vulnerabilities in Natural Disaster-Affected Areas of Bangladesh: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol. BMJ Open, 10, e039772. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039772
Brewerton, T.D., Putnam, K.T., Lewine, R.R.J. and Risch, S.C. (2018) Seasonality of Cerebrospinal Fluid Monoamine Metabolite Concentrations and Their Associations with Meteorological Variables in Humans. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 99, 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.01.004
Kovats, R.S. and Hajat, S. (2008) Heat Stress and Public Health: A Critical Review. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 41-55.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090843
Hayes, K. and Poland, B. (2018) Addressing Mental Health in a Changing Climate: Incorporating Mental Health Indicators into Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, Article 1806. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091806