Climate change impacts on mental health in the UK: Current evidence and opportunities for intervention
Author(s)
Mccall, Monica
Type
Report
Abstract
This paper summarises current evidence and opportunities for mental health interventions.
Key points:
• Climate change-related increases in temperature and extreme weather pose current and future risks to public mental health in the UK.
• Vulnerable populations face heightened mental health risks.
• Direct impacts include anxiety, stress, and trauma from floods and droughts, and increased risks of suicide and symptoms of mental health disorders from heat and air pollution.
• "Eco-emotions" stem from prolonged exposure to climate change-related issues, including grief and guilt over environmental damage and anxiety about future climate-related hazards. Without support, these experiences can worsen mental health and wellbeing.
• Integrating mental health support into climate change strategies offers an opportunity to build public resilience.
Key points:
• Climate change-related increases in temperature and extreme weather pose current and future risks to public mental health in the UK.
• Vulnerable populations face heightened mental health risks.
• Direct impacts include anxiety, stress, and trauma from floods and droughts, and increased risks of suicide and symptoms of mental health disorders from heat and air pollution.
• "Eco-emotions" stem from prolonged exposure to climate change-related issues, including grief and guilt over environmental damage and anxiety about future climate-related hazards. Without support, these experiences can worsen mental health and wellbeing.
• Integrating mental health support into climate change strategies offers an opportunity to build public resilience.
Date Issued
2025-10-31
Citation
2025
Copyright Statement
o © 2025 The authors, produced for The Grantham Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No-Derivatives 4.0 International License. This license permits all or part of the work to be copied and shared with others, provided that the original authors and source are credited.