Chronic Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Extremes: A Case Study of the Largest Californian Wild Fire

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarita Silveira ◽  
Mariah Kornbluh ◽  
Mathew C. Withers ◽  
Gillian Grennan ◽  
Veerabhadran Ramanathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Resilience Factors

Abstract Background. Weather-related disasters such as droughts and fires as accelerated by climate change have led to substantial growth in interest in impacted health outcomes. While physical health outcomes have been studied in this context, our understanding of climate change impacted mental health is at its infancy. This study focuses on the mental health impacts of the largest Californian wildfire to-date, the Camp Fire of 2018.Methods. We investigated a sample of 780 Californian residents with different degrees of disaster exposure, and measured mental health using clinically valid scales for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); data were collected six months post-exposure to understand sustained chronic impacts. Data were modeled using multiple-regression analyses. Additionally, we included vulnerability and resilience factors in hierarchical regression analyses.Results. Our primary finding is that direct exposure to large scale fires significantly increased the risk for all three mental health disorders, PTSD, MDD and GAD. Indirect exposure, for those who witnessed but did not personally experience the fires, increased the risk for MDD and GAD. Inclusion of vulnerability and resilience factors led to significantly improved prediction of all mental health outcomes. Low socio-economic status, childhood trauma and sleep disturbances were identified as vulnerability factors, while self-reported resilience had a positive effect on mental health. Mindfulness was associated with lower MDD and GAD symptom scores.Conclusion. Overall, our study demonstrates that climate-related extremes such as fires severely impact long-term mental wellbeing. Additionally, pre-existing adverse life events, resilient personality traits and lifestyle factors play an important role in the development of psychopathology after such disasters. Unchecked climate changes of magnitude projected for the latter half of this century risk severely impacting the mental wellbeing of the global population.

scholarly journals Chronic Mental Health Sequelae of Climate Change Extremes: A Case Study of the Deadliest Californian Wildfire

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1487
Author(s):  
Sarita Silveira ◽  
Mariah Kornbluh ◽  
Mathew C. Withers ◽  
Gillian Grennan ◽  
Veerabhadran Ramanathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Resilience Factors

Introduction. Weather-related disasters, such as wildfires exacerbated by a rise in global temperatures, need to be better studied in terms of their mental health impacts. This study focuses on the mental health sequelae of the deadliest wildfire in California to date, the Camp Fire of 2018. Methods. We investigated a sample of 725 California residents with different degrees of disaster exposure and measured mental health using clinically validated scales for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Data were collected at a chronic time-point, six months post-wildfire. We used multiple regression analyses to predict the mental health outcomes based on self-reported fire exposure. Additionally, we included vulnerability and resilience factors in hierarchical regression analyses. Results. Our primary finding is that direct exposure to large scale fires significantly increased the risk for mental health disorders, particularly for PTSD and depression. Additionally, the inclusion of vulnerability and resilience factors in the hierarchical regression analyses led to the significantly improved prediction of all mental health outcomes. Childhood trauma and sleep disturbances exacerbated mental health symptoms. Notably, self-reported resilience had a positive effect on mental health, and mindfulness was associated with significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion. Overall, our study demonstrated that climate-related extreme events, such as wildfires, can have severe mental illness sequelae. Moreover, we found that pre-existing stressful life events, resilient personality traits and lifestyle factors can play an important role in the prevalence of psychopathology after such disasters. Unchecked climate change projected for the latter half of this century may severely impact the mental wellbeing of the global population, and we must find ways to foster individual resiliency.

scholarly journals When rebuilding no longer means recovery: the stress of staying put after Hurricane Sandy

2021 ◽  
Vol 165 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liz Koslov ◽  
Alexis Merdjanoff ◽  
Elana Sulakshana ◽  
Eric Klinenberg
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Flood Insurance ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Policy Shifts ◽  
Post Disaster

AbstractAfter a disaster, it is common to equate repopulation and rebuilding with recovery. Numerous studies link post-disaster relocation to adverse social, economic, and health outcomes. However, there is a need to reconsider these relationships in light of accelerating climate change and associated social and policy shifts in the USA, including the rising cost of flood insurance, the challenge of obtaining aid to rebuild, and growing interest in “managed retreat” from places at greatest risk. This article presents data from a survey of individuals who opted either to rebuild in place or relocate with the help of a voluntary home buyout after Hurricane Sandy. Findings show those who lived in buyout-eligible areas and relocated were significantly less likely to report worsened stress than those who rebuilt in place. This suggests access to a government-supported voluntary relocation option may, under certain circumstances, lessen the negative mental health consequences associated with disaster-related housing damage.

scholarly journals Mental health and caregiving experiences of family carers supporting people with psychosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sin ◽  
J. Elkes ◽  
R. Batchelor ◽  
C. Henderson ◽  
S. Gillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
General Population ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Negative Experience

Abstract Aims Family carers supporting an individual with psychosis often experience poorer mental health, however, little is known about specific risk factors among these carers. We investigated the associations between demographic, caregiving characteristics and mental health outcomes in family carers supporting an individual with psychosis and compared carers' outcomes with general population norms. Methods We analysed baseline data from the COPe-support randomised controlled trial of online psychoeducation and peer support for adult carers supporting an individual with psychosis between 2018 and 2020. We collected carers' demographic and health outcome data, including wellbeing using Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS as primary outcome), quality of life using EQ-5D-5L and caregiving experience assessed with Experience of Caregiving Inventory. We tested associations between carers' demographic and caregiving characteristics for each outcome in turn and meta-analysed carers' WEMWBS and EQ-5D-5L with Health Survey England (HSE) general population data from 2016 and 2017, respectively. Results The 407 carers of people with psychosis had a mean WEMWBS score of 42.2 (s.d. 9.21) and their overall weighted pooled WEMWBS score was 7.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) −8.6 to −6.0, p < 0.01) lower than the HSE general population sample, indicating carers have poorer mental wellbeing by more than double the minimum clinically important difference of 3 points on WEMWBS. Among all caring relationships, partners had poorer wellbeing compared to parents with lower WEMWBS score (−6.8, −16.9 to 3.3, p = 0.03). Single carers had significantly poorer wellbeing (−3.6, −5.6 to −1.5, p < 0.01) and a more negative caregiving experience than those who were cohabiting. Spending more than 35 h per week caregiving increased carers' negative experience significantly (p = 0.01). Conclusion Carers of people with psychosis have poorer mental health than non-carers. Partners, lone carers and those spending more than 35 h per week on caring were found to be most at risk of poor mental health. Based on the results, we advocate that the details of carers for individuals with psychosis should be added to the existing carers or severe mental illness registers at all general practitioner surgeries and for their wellbeing screened routinely. Future large-scale prospective studies are needed to develop a predictive model to determine risk factors, hence to aid early identification of carers' support needs. Such understandings are also useful to inform tailored intervention development.

scholarly journals A Nosological Exploration of PTSD and Trauma in Disaster Mental Health and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Carol S. North ◽  
Alina M. Surís ◽  
David E. Pollio
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Medical Illness ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly spread around the world, resulting in massive medical morbidity and mortality and substantial mental health consequences. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an important psychiatric disorder associated with disasters, and many published scientific articles have reported post-traumatic stress syndromes in populations studied for COVID-19 mental health outcomes. American diagnostic criteria for PTSD have evolved across editions of the manual, and the current definition excludes naturally occurring medical illness (such as viral illness) as a qualifying trauma, ruling out this viral pandemic as the basis for a diagnosis of PTSD. This article provides an in-depth nosological consideration of the diagnosis of PTSD and critically examines three essential elements (trauma, exposure, and symptomatic response) of this diagnosis, specifically applying these concepts to the mental health outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current criteria for PTSD are unsatisfying for guiding the response to mental health consequences associated with this pandemic, and suggestions are made for addressing the conceptual diagnostic problems and designing research to resolve diagnostic uncertainties empirically. Options might be to revise the diagnostic criteria or consider categorization of COVID-19-related psychiatric syndromes as non-traumatic stressor-related syndromes or other psychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals Effects of a Large-Scale Unconditional Cash Transfer Program on Mental Health Outcomes of Young People in Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Kilburn ◽  
Harsha Thirumurthy ◽  
Carolyn Tucker Halpern ◽  
Audrey Pettifor ◽  
Sudhanshu Handa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Unconditional Cash Transfer

scholarly journals Mental health of women and children experiencing family violence in conflict settings: a mixed methods systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Delan Devakumar ◽  
Alexis Palfreyman ◽  
Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy ◽  
Nazifa Ullah ◽  
Chavini Ranasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Violence ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Conflict Settings

Abstract Background Armed conflict has significant impacts on individuals and families living in conflict-affected settings globally. Scholars working to prevent violence within families have hypothesised that experiencing armed conflict leads to an increase in family violence and mental health problems. In this review, we assessed the prevalence of family violence in conflict settings, its association with the mental health of survivors, moderating factors, and the importance of gender relations. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies that assessed the prevalence of family violence and the association between family violence and mental health problems, within conflict settings (PROSPERO reference CRD42018114443). Results We identified 2605 records, from which 174 full text articles were screened. Twenty-nine studies that reported family violence during or up to 10 years after conflict were eligible for inclusion. Twenty one studies were quantitative, measuring prevalence and association between family violence and mental health problems. The studies were generally of high quality and all reported high prevalence of violence. The prevalence of violence against women was mostly in the range of 30–40%, the highest reported prevalence of physical abuse being 78.9% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For violence against children, over three-quarters had ever experienced violence, the highest prevalence being 95.6% in Sri Lanka. Associations were found with a number of mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. The risk varied in different locations. Eight qualitative studies showed how men’s experience of conflict, including financial stresses, contributes to their perpetration of family violence. Conclusions Family violence was common in conflict settings and was associated with mental health outcomes, but the studies were too heterogenous to determine whether prevalence or risk was greater than in non-conflict settings. The review highlights an urgent need for more robust data on perpetrators, forms of family violence, and mental health outcomes in conflict-affected settings in order to help understand the magnitude of the problem and identify potential solutions to address it.

Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

2020 ◽  
pp. 153-172
Author(s):  
Elaine Chase ◽  
Jennifer Allsopp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Immigration Control ◽  
Presenting Symptoms

This chapter assesses the central importance of health, and in particular mental health, to a sense of wellbeing. It considers the factors that negatively impact mental wellbeing of migrant young people not so much in terms of presenting symptoms and biomedical responses, but largely as products of systems and structures that are incompatible with their lives and aspirations. The chapter highlights not only how poor health outcomes are often products of immigration and social care structures, but also how health services are no longer safe, neutral spaces. Instead, in the contemporary hostile environment, health services can act as additional arms of immigration control and surveillance systems. The chapter then discusses the controversial logic in the clinical use of anti-depressants and other drugs to manage conditions that are essentially socially and politically constructed, as well as the incursion of the criminal justice system into the arena of addiction and behavioural disorders.

scholarly journals Mental Health Outcomes Among Military Service Members After Severe Injury in Combat and TBI

2019 ◽  
Vol 185 (5-6) ◽  
pp. e711-e718 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L Chin ◽  
John E Zeber
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Military Service Members ◽  
Severe Tbi ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract Introduction Studies examining the mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed into combat zones have focused on the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder conferred by mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, other mental health outcomes among veterans who sustained critical combat injuries have not been described. Materials and Method We examined the associations of moderate and severe TBI and combat injury with the risk for anxiety and mood disorders, adjustment reactions, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, cognitive disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of U.S. military service members critically injured in combat during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from February 1, 2002, to February 1, 2011. Health care encounters from (1) the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry (TR), (2) acute and ambulatory care in military facilities, and (3) civilian facilities are reimbursed by Tricare. Service members who sustained severe combat injury require critical care. We estimated the risk of mental health outcomes using risk-adjusted logit models for demographic and clinical factors. We explored the relationship between TBI and the total number of mental health diagnoses. Results Of the 4,980 subjects who met inclusion criteria, most injuries occurred among members of the Army (72%) or Marines (25%), with mean (SD) age of 25.5(6.1) years. The prevalence of moderate or severe TBI was 31.6% with explosion as the most common mechanism of injury (78%). We found 71% of the cohort was diagnosed with at least one poor mental health condition, and the adjusted risk conferred by TBI ranged from a modest increase for anxiety disorder (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.45) to a large increase for cognitive disorder (odds ratio, 3.24; 95% CI, 2.78–3.77). We found TBI was associated with an increased number of mental health diagnoses (incidence rate ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.42–1.63). Conclusions Combat-associated TBI may have a broad effect on several mental health conditions among critically injured combat casualties. Early recognition and treatment for trauma-associated mental health are crucial to improving outcomes among service personnel as they transition to post-deployment care in the DoD, Department of Veterans Affairs, or community health systems.

The Prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483802095805
Author(s):  
Unnati Patel ◽  
Ronald Roesch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Study Setting

The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the prevalence of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) within the adolescent and adult population regarding victimization and perpetration. In addition to the primary aim, associated health outcomes with TFSV were discussed through a qualitative lens. Specific forms of TFSV that were examined include distribution of, production of, and threats to distribute sexual material involving another individual without that person’s consent via images or videos; 425 articles from MEDLINE, PsycArticles, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, and Google Scholar were screened. Nineteen articles (comprising 20 independent samples) reporting prevalence rates of TFSV on 32,247 participants were included in this random-effects meta-analysis. Pooled prevalence of victimization results revealed that 8.8% of people have had their image or video-based sexts shared without consent, 7.2% have been threatened with sext distribution, and 17.6% have had their image taken without permission. Regarding perpetration, 12% have shared sexts beyond the intended recipient, 2.7% have threatened to share sexts, and 8.9% have nonconsensually taken an image. Moderator variables included publication year, mean participant age, proportion of female participants, and study setting, with meta-regression analyses revealing no significant predictors. Finally, a qualitative analysis of nine articles ( n = 3,990) was conducted to assess mental health associations with TFSV victimization, revealing significant mental health impacts, including anxiety, depression, and poor coping, for victims.

scholarly journals Addressing Adolescent Mental Health after Disasters: The Critical Role of Chronic Stressors

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s4-s4
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Newnham ◽  
Xue Gao ◽  
Elizabeth Nathan ◽  
Mark Boyes ◽  
Feng Jiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Chronic Stressors

Introduction:Prolonged conditions of chronic stress have the potential to cause mental health difficulties and disrupt developmental processes for children and adolescents. Natural disasters disproportionately affect low-resource areas, yet little is known about the interaction between trauma exposure, chronic stressors, and mental health.Aim:To determine the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety among adolescents affected by earthquakes in China and Nepal, and examine the specific roles of trauma exposure and chronic stressors across the three mental health outcomes.Methods:A school-based, cross-sectional study of 4,215 adolescents (53% female, ages 15-19 years) was conducted in disaster-affected areas of southern China and Nepal. Participants completed a series of translated and culturally adapted standardized assessments. Mixed effects logistic regression analyses were conducted for each mental health outcome.Results:The overall rate of PTSD was 22.7% and was higher among Nepalese participants (China: 19.4% vs. Nepal: 26.8%, p<0.001), but did not differ between genders (China: p=0.087 and Nepal: p=0.758). In both countries, the level of trauma exposure was a significant risk factor for PTSD, depression, and anxiety (China: OR’s 1.09-1.18 and Nepal: OR’s 1.08-1.13). Chronic stressors significantly improved the model and further contributed to mental health outcomes (China: OR’s 1.23-1.26 and Nepal: OR’s 1.10-1.23). Multilevel risk and protective factors across all mental health outcomes will be presented.Discussion:While there are limited opportunities to protect adolescents from disaster exposure, there is significant potential to address the effects of ongoing economic insecurity, domestic violence, and school cessation that are likely to worsen mental health outcomes. Programs that identify chronic stressors for adolescents in disaster-affected settings, and work to address poverty and violence, will have cascading effects for mental health, development, and security.

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