A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Climate Change on the Global Demand for Psychiatric Services

Julia Feriato Corvetto (), Ammir Yacoub Helou, Peter Dambach, Thomas Müller and Rainer Sauerborn
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Julia Feriato Corvetto: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Ammir Yacoub Helou: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
Peter Dambach: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Thomas Müller: Private Clinic Meiringen, 3860 Meiringen, Switzerland
Rainer Sauerborn: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-27

Abstract: Climate Change (CC) imposes important global health risks, including on mental health (MH). They are related mostly to psychological suffering caused by climate-related events and to the heat-vulnerability caused by psychiatric disorders. This growing burden may press MH services worldwide, increasing demand on public and private systems in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. According to PRISMA, two independent reviewers searched four databases for papers published before May 2022 that associated climate-related events with healthcare demand for psychiatric conditions. Of the 7432 papers retrieved, we included 105. Only 29 were carried out in low- and middle-income countries. Twelve related the admission numbers to (i) extreme events, while 93 to (ii) meteorological factors—mostly heat. Emergency visits and hospitalizations were significantly higher during hot periods for MH disorders, especially until lag 5–7. Extreme events also caused more consultations. Suicide (completed or attempted), substance misuse, schizophrenia, mood, organic and neurotic disorders, and mortality were strongly affected by CC. This high healthcare demand is evidence of the burden patients may undergo. In addition, public and private services may face a shortage of financial and human resources. Finally, the increased use of healthcare facilities, in turn, intensifies greenhouse gas emissions, representing a self-enforcing cycle for CC. Further research is needed to better clarify how extreme events affect MH services and, in addition, if services in low- and middle-income countries are more intensely demanded by CC, as compared to richer countries.

Keywords: climate change; mental health; psychiatric services; services demand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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