1. Climate Change Adaptation:
Mental Health Governance
Brandon Hey (B.A.)
Studio [Y] Fellow, MaRS Discovery District

2. Overview
 Food for Thought
 Literature Review
 Methods
 Analysis
 Key Findings
 Systems Map
 Discussion
Photo: Collapsed House due to erosion, Nunatsiavut, Canada

3. Food for Thought
 “Climate change represents the biggest public health challenge
of the 21st century (Constello, 2009)”
 “Climate change is likely to emerge as one of the greatest threats
to mental health in circumpolar and global regions” (Cunsolo-
Willox, 2015; Swim et al., 2010)
Photo (Left): Flooded village after Japanese Tsunami
(2011)

4. Food for Thought
 “More work is necessary to understand the effects
of climate change and extreme weather events on
mental health status, to determine how to mitigate
these effects, and to overcome the barriers to
utilization and delivery of mental health services
following extreme weather events.” –pg.38, Portier
et al., 2013
 “The emerging evidence of negative psychological
consequences of climate change can be regarded
as early indicators of mental health impacts that
may eventually be experienced across the globe
via direct and indirect mechanisms.” –Ashlee
Cunsolo Willox, 2014
Photo (right): Farmer from Gujarat, India suffering from the
effects of multi-year drought

5. Literature Review
 Anthropogenic climate change presents a multitude of human
health challenges; leads to vector-borne disease outbreaks,
loss of economic assets & compromised food security
 Following a natural disaster, PTSD increases as much as 25.6%
of a given population; 48.6% of population experiences acute
anxiety (Shukla, 2013; Stanke, 2012)
 Solastalgia: emotional loss following disruptive access to one’s
homeland; found for climate-related MH problems across
cases (Australia, Nunavut, New Orleans; Albrecht et al., 2009)
 Climate change adaptation solutions thus far are technocratic
& engineering focused
 Psychosocial consequences are gaining precedent but are
ignored municipally and nationally (American Psychological
Association & EcoAmerica, 2014; Berry et al., 2010; World
Health Organization, 2014 )

6. Method
 Literature Review (IPCC, 2007; World Health
Organization, 2014)
 Semi-structured Interviews (N=12)
Questions posed, based upon user-type: Public Health
Organizations, Office of Emergency Management, Canadian
Red Cross, Environmental, clinical and community psychologists
 Online Survey (Google Forms) (N=6)
 Systems Map

8. Analysis
 (N=12) Semi-structured interviews,
thematically analyzed, coded
and quantified
 Surveys had insufficient sample
size (N=6)
 Compared survey responses to
Interview answers
Photo (Below): Asphalt melting in New Delhi, India

9. Key Findings
• Vulnerability
• Psychological Denial
• Siloism
• Resilience
• Engagement
• Artistic Processes
 6 Meta-themes, 21 sub
themes

10. Key Findings Cont’d
Vulnerability Mental Health Organizations are
overburdened (N=5)
Psychological Denial Hinders the support and action of
relevant practitioners (policy,
medical, PH, EM) (N=5)
Siloism Need to enhance communication
and collaboration between sectors
(N=9)
Prevalent among MH and other
embedded agencies (N=5)

11. Key Findings Cont’d
Resilience Need to establish right service
delivery mechanisms (N=3)
Need vehicle that fosters self-
transformation/resilience (N=6)
Engagement Fosters resilience->via reduced
isolation
Includes personal preparedness
workshops and family reunification
plans (N=4)
Artistic Processes Prompts engagement/action (N=4)
Articulates concern in a healthy
manner (N=3)

12. Systems Map

13. Discussion
 Psychological consequences pose significant
challenges due to oversight, lack of dedicated
support from public health and medical
communities.
 The City of Toronto has yet to put a psychosocial
response plan in place
 Mental health professionals are not brought to the
table in the development of climate change
adaptation strategies.
 Mental health agencies can offset their burdens
through greater coordination of services.
 A “bridging organization,” could serve as a viable
mechanism to coordinate activity among formal
and informal actors.

14. References
 Albrecht, G., Sartore, G.M., Connor, L., Higginbotham, N., Freeman, S.,
Kelly, B., … B., Stain. (2007). Solastalgia: The distress caused by
environmental change. Australian Psychiatry, 15 (Suppl.), S95-S98.
 Berry, H., Butler, J., Burgess, C. (2010). Mind, body, spirit: Co-benefits for
mental health from climate change adaptation and caring for country in
remote Aboriginal Australian communities. New South Wales Public
Health Bulletin, 21(6), 139-145.
 Constello, A. (2009). Managing the health effects of climate change. The
Lancet, 373, 1693-7333.
 Portier, C.J., Thigpen, T. K., Carter, S.R., Dilworth, C.H., Grambsch, A.E.,
Gohlke, J. … Whung, P.Y.(2010). A Human Health Perspective On Climate
Change: A Report Outlining the Research Needs on the Human Health
Effects of Climate Change. Research Triangle Park, NC: National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002272. Retrieved
from:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/a_human_health_perspective
_on_climate_change_full_report_508.pdf

15. References
 Shukla, J. (2013). Extreme weather events and mental health: Tackling
the psychosocial challenge. ISRN Public Health,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/127365.
 Stanke, C., Murray, V., Amlot, R., Nurse, J., & Williams, R. et al., (2012).
The effects of flooding on mental health: Outcomes and
recommendations from a review of the literature. PLOS Currents
Disasters, doi: 10.1371/4f9f1fa9c3cae.
• World Health Organization. (2014). Health-Related Consequences of
Climate Change. Nordic World Health Assembly. Retrieved from:
http://norwho.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/NORWHO2014FINALDECLARATION-2.pdf

16. Contact
Brandon Hey (B.A.)
Studio [Y] Fellow, MaRS Discovery District
bhey@marsdd.com
(226) 203-3224