Mahmood Khosravi - Department of Physical Geography, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

Climate change has been recognized as the greatest threat to human health in the ۲۱st century by the World Health Organization. It refers to global warming, the continuous increase in global average temperature, and its impact on Earth's climate system. Climate change also encompasses previous long-term shifts in Earth's climate. The impacts of climate change are becoming more evident globally. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth assessment report states that human influence has warmed the climate at an unprecedented rate, leading to widespread and rapid changes in the biosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere. Climate change significantly impacts human health and well-being, including mental health, through rising temperatures, heat waves, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, fires, the loss of forests, glaciers, rivers, and desertification. However, there is a lack of psychiatric studies on mental disorders linked to climate change. This lecture explores the relationship between climate change and human vulnerability, focusing on the psychological implications. It examines the potential effects of extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and environmental degradation on mental health, providing insights into future challenges individuals and communities may face. Resilience strategies are vital for protecting physical and mental health, but they fail to address the primary root cause of climate change. The research also explores psychological factors contributing to human vulnerability and behavior change, offering insights into effective strategies for promoting sustainable practices and mitigating climate change's impacts. Climate change has significant effects on mental health, including anxiety, psychological distress, and exposure to weather-related hazards. Mental health professionals play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, and prevention and intervention strategies, including social and community support, are essential for coping with and mitigating its effects. The impacts of climate change can be direct or indirect, short-term or long-term. Severe incidents may trigger responses similar to traumatic stress, resulting in recognizable psychopathological patterns. Moreover, the effects of experiencing intense or prolonged weather-related events can also be delayed, involving conditions such as posttraumatic stress or even passed on to future generations. The findings indicate a significant link between climate-related psychological stressors and mental health in numerous countries, highlighting the need for cross-disciplinary research to assess the unique challenges posed by negative emotional responses to climate change. While climate depression presents challenges to mental well-being, it is clear that effective mental health services will be crucial in the future. Further research at the intersection of climate change and mental health is urgently needed. Climate change presents long-term social and environmental challenges, leading to emotional distress and anxiety. It affects the social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to mental health, with serious consequences for disadvantaged communities. The mental health implications of extreme weather events are significant. Understanding the psychosocial consequences is essential for taking informed action to prevent harmful climate change on individual, community, and societal levels. Future multidisciplinary research that incorporates biological and psychological systems, including aspects such as endocrine or neuro-immunological factors, along with environmental factors and climate change impacts, has the potential to greatly enhance our clinical understanding and treatment of emotional disorders or distress related to physical illness.

Climate Change, Mental Health, Psychological Impact, Extreme Weather Events, Vulnerability