As the 26th Climate Change Conference (CoP26) gets underway, a number of experts are calling attention to the detrimental effects that climate change has on mental health. These experts say this component isn’t being given as much attention as it deserves by policymakers.
According to a recent report released by the World Health Organization, climate change is the most significant threat to health that humanity faces. Already, the world is witnessing loss of life due to extreme heat events, waterborne diseases, zoonotic diseases, and malnutrition among other such climate-related causes of mortality.
While the climate change threats above aren’t receiving a fair amount of attention, the American Psychiatry Association (“APA”) is of the view that the mental health effects of climate change need to register more prominently on the radars of policymakers around the world. The association says that extreme weather events, for example, have been strongly linked to a spike in cases of domestic violence and general aggressive behavior. Additionally, prolonged droughts and floods have been linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD.
The APA further says that individuals who are living with mental health disorders are prone to being adversely impacted by adverse weather events due to several factors. For example, some mental health medications compromise the body’s ability to detect and adjust to extreme heat, and this could ultimately end in injury or even death of the affected person. Additionally, mental health professionals have observed that during episodes of extreme heat, people’s stress levels rise, and this can result in a higher intake of alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism to that stress. Suicide rates also go up when stress levels are high.
The climate change crisis also delivers another double whammy to individuals suffering from mental health conditions. These people tend to live in impoverished conditions, and their disadvantaged socio-economic status makes them highly susceptible to the vagaries of climate change. This is because poor people are limited in their ability to adapt to the challenges triggered by climate change.
It should be noted that when floods and other extreme weather events occur, infrastructure such as roads is likely to be damaged. As a result, those who would wish to access their ongoing mental health care may find themselves unable to do so, which can result in a deterioration in their condition. It is abundantly clear that if CoP26 gives some attention to the ways in which mental health is being affected by climate change, the world could be a better place for the humans who call it home.
Additional hope for those struggling with mental health problems is provided by companies such as Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQX: MCURF), which are seeking to develop a new class of remedies whose efficacy is higher than that of the existing treatments.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQB: MCURF) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/MCURF
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