IMPLEMENTING THE DECLARATION OF THE  60TH ANNUAL DPI/NGO CONFERENCE

Recommendations by the Working Group on the  Impact of Climate Change on  Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being: Guidelines for Action

ADMIN & EDITORS

REPORT SECTIONS

CHAPTERS & WORKING GRPS

WELCOME

-------------------------------------------------------------------------  July 22, 2008 --------

 Recommendations

 Climate change is likely to impact mental health and psychosocial well-being via multiple pathways, leading to new challenges and greater psychological disease burden and suffering in affected communities. UN agencies, NGOs, governments, academic institutions and civil society at large need to work together to reduce this global and continuing threat to global health. Several implications for preparedness, mitigation, response, and policy can be outlined as follows:

1)      Addressing Climate Change. The projected impact on mental health and psychosocial well-being underlines the urgency of addressing climate change at all levels. Individuals and communities, especially those in countries with the highest carbon emissions, should have access to ways in which they can actively contribute to reducing global warming and climate change. This includes viable options for protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, access to public transportation or safe ways to bike or walk, access to local produce, incentives to make use of renewable energy, and various other opportunities that help individuals reduce greenhouse gases. Living healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyles including physical exercise, a diet rich in plant based foods and low in animal products and sustainable living practices can benefit both mental and physical health at the individual and global levels.

2)      Coordinating Efforts. Coordinated efforts should take place among NGOs, UN agencies, governments, civil society, and scientists to address psychosocial and mental health factors in the context of climate change and for NGO’s in particular to collaborate on the basis of their expertise.

3)      Conducting Impact Research. Current projections of climate change effects have mostly focused on physical health such as vector-borne diseases. Research should examine early effects of climate change on mental health and well-being that have already taken place and estimate projected effects on health given current models of climate change scenarios (also see (4)).

4)      Attending to Populations at Risk. Special attention should be paid to populations at risk for the psychological effects of climate change, including children, women, the elderly, those with less access to resources or those with pre-existing mental health or substance use problems.

5)      Increasing Resilience. Building communities that are more resilient to the mental health and psychosocial impact of climate change should involve capacity-building, strengthening of existing structures, reinforcing of social networks, availability of psychosocial resources and services and reinforcing the value of local and indigenous community knowledge and perspectives. Strengths of specific social groups as well as talents and skills within the community should be utilized. Women can make a unique contribution to disaster preparedness and recovery due to their social networks and local community awareness, for example (60). After the 1999 Orissa cyclone, many relief efforts were targeted at women, giving them control over resources as well as house-building grants and loans, resulting in improved self-esteem and social status (4).

6)      Continued Monitoring and Evaluation. Mental health and psychosocial indicators, vulnerabilities and resources should be monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis before as well as after disasters or significant weather-related changes. National governments have a responsibility, under the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), to carry out formal assessments of the risk to their population’s health posed by global climate change. This should include mental health problems. In addition, follow-up assessments and evaluations which include mental health indicators should be conducted not only during the acute phase of environmental events but also during the following years (29).

7)      Disseminating Public Information. Information should be disseminated on mental health, psychosocial and spiritual issues related to climate change and disaster for the general public, aimed at improving coping strategies, and at reducing stigma associated with stress reactions, crises of faith or psychological problems. NGOs and others should play an active role in challenging false beliefs or harmful practices. Guidelines for the media should be provided for reporting on events related to climate change such as disasters, advocating against media use of harmful images and for the broadcasting of accurate information and stories of resilience.

8)      Community Building and Rebuilding. NGOs and governmental organizations should encourage community building and rebuilding involving the preservation of local history and culture. Initiatives that inspire self-reliance and resiliency and promote psychological wellness should be promoted and supported (29).

9)      Training Staff in Mental Health Issues. Local non-specialized staff (e.g. school teachers, first responders) should be trained in basic principles of psychological first aid, spiritual care and in providing referral to specialized staff if necessary. Local specialized staff should be trained in effective and culturally informed practices for stress and trauma interventions.

10)   Providing Access to Mental Health Interventions. Access to quality psychosocial and mental health interventions should be provided, especially to underserved and vulnerable populations. Mental health services should be integrated with primary care and other community general health services. Community support services should be given particular attention as  most groups suffering from distress respond better to people from within their own community (61, 62). Interventions should be empirically based and culturally informed and follow recently developed IASC guidelines (29).

11)   Considering Different Cultural Perspectives. All action priorities should be implemented from a multi-cultural perspective which is sensitive to specific cultures and contexts and makes the best use of local knowledge.