Investigating and addressing inequalities on the mental health impacts of climate change

The United Nations has recognised that mental distress is the challenge for humanity navigating our future of uncertain and complex times, not least climate change and widening inequalities. This webinar will share knowledge on understanding the mental health inequities associated with climate change and discuss the public health approaches that can be used to reduce them. This webinar will be recorded.

This webinar has been organised by the following FPH SIGs:

• Public Mental Health 
• Academic Public Health
• Sustainable Development
• Poverty

Speaker 1: Emma Lawrance, Climate Cares Initiative, Imperial College London

Climate change and mental health are deeply interconnected. This talk will describe the many ways in which climate change is a risk multiplier for mental health challenges, while climate action presents many opportunities for improving the conditions that support good mental health and wellbeing. Strengthening psychological resilience of communities is also vital to ensure they can cope with and take action sustainably under conditions of a changing climate. Public health has a huge role to play in safe-guarding mental health in the climate emergency, and advocating for co-beneficial climate policies that can protect public health, including those living with mental health challenges. We will also present findings from the Connecting Climate Minds global initiative, which has held 21 dialogues over the last year with over 600 diverse participants from over 80 countries, to develop an aligned vision for the climate and mental health field.

Speaker 2: Judi Kidger, NIHR School of Public Health Research Public Mental Health programme, Bristol University

We will share some of the ways in which the NIHR’s School for Public Health Research are seeking to address mental health need, through the Public Mental Health programme. This will include the conceptual framework for public mental health, which was co-produced by a team of academics, practitioners and public partners. This interactive tool enables the user to explore the individual, family, community and structural determinants of mental health, and the evidence-base for effective interventions that address those determinants. We will also share findings from work to identify and validate a core public mental health outcome set and will highlight evidence from evaluations of community-based interventions, showing how they can make a difference to population mental health, and mental health inequalities.

Speaker 3: Fiona Duncan, NIHR SPHR Public Mental Health programme, Newcastle University

 Several of FPH’s Special Interest Groups have joined together to organise a series of lunchtime learning webinars during Global Public Health Week (GPHW), which will take place from 8 to 12 April. The theme of this year’s GPHW is “Fostering Peace as a Prerequisite for Equitable Health”.