A recent study confirms that climate changes are affecting not only nature but also human mental and psychological health, as seen by the Special Energy Platform.
According to a recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, high temperatures, humidity and other factors related to climate changes increase mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Chai Def Net Science (SCI Dev Net).
The study relied on data that tested the relationship between climate changes and social characteristics of the population in Bangladesh, one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate impacts.
Climate and mental illness
The researchers monitored climate-related variability at 43 meteorological stations in Bangladesh, aiming to measure seasonal changes in temperature and humidity over a two-month period.
Among the study participants, there were instances of experiencing flooding, and this slide is an indication of the potential for small changes in climate-related weather events to affect psychological responses.
In addition, the researchers conducted two studies measuring rates of depression and anxiety in adults from urban and rural households in two study groups.
The first survey was conducted between August and September 2019 and the second survey was conducted from January to February 2020.
Researchers in the country criticized the lack of data on the matter at the state level, as seen by the Special Energy Platform.
The study showed that those exposed to a one degree Celsius increase in temperature in the two months prior to the study (1) were 21% more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. 24% at the same time.
The study indicated that exposure to the hazards of climate change in Bangladesh – especially floods – increased the risk of depression by 31%, anxiety by 69% and infection with both diseases by 87%.
Bangladesh is in danger
Syed Shabab Waheed, assistant professor in the Department of Global Health at Georgetown University School of Health and lead author of the study, said: “We found strong indicators of the impact of climate change on mental health. changes, and the results of the study will serve as a warning to other countries.” “.
He added, “As temperatures and humidity continue to rise, rates of climate change are increasing, and natural disasters such as severe flooding are increasing, all of these are manifesting increasing effects on our collective mental health.”
Waheed touched on the many dangers facing Bangladesh related to climate change. including rising temperatures, increased humidity levels, extreme heat waves and increasing natural disasters; Like floods and severe typhoons, this combination of events made the Asian city an ideal choice to test the many manifestations of climate emergencies.
Waheed said the results of the study demonstrate – for the first time at a national level in Bangladesh and South Asia in general – the links between exposure to high temperatures and humidity or severe flooding and negative reactions to mental health and depression. Anxiety disorders associated with the consequences of climate change.
He said that researchers have found that older people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, and the results of the study show that women suffer from depression more than men.
Previous studies
Liz van Susteren, co-founder of the Climate Mental Health Alliance, said, “The findings of this study are consistent with the results seen in other studies,” calling for the need for wider dissemination in the context of avoiding the effects of climate change. On mental health.
He added that extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures, increased rainfall and floods, are sounding the alarm indicating negative effects related to human psychological health, according to reports from the Special Energy Platform.
And he continued: “The physical effects of the consequences of climate change are easy to see, which prompts more attention to them, on the other hand, mental disorders are usually hidden and penetrate unconsciously into everyday life and into the lives of families and surrounding communities, difficult to detect and treat.”
“Chastrin” advocated the need to establish a scientific sub-discipline to study the link between climate and mental health, educate individuals and adopt clear policies to reduce risks, noting that this action is urgently needed.
The study encourages those involved in the global phenomenon of climate change to take its conclusions seriously, especially as these diseases represent a serious threat and challenge to health and the future.
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