Extreme Climate Related Disasters: two-time points evaluation of the impact in children and youth mental health

Abstract

Worldwide, floods and drought are the most frequent extreme climate-related disasters with a potential that might affect children and adolescent mental health. This study aimed to describe mental health impact on youth exposed to flood or drought (time 1), to provide a prospective follow up of symptoms (time 2), about 15 months apart, and to compare the child response with control groups based on ranges of socioeconomic status. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and general behavior problems were evaluated. Sociodemographic data from 275 children and adolescents (6 to 18 years old) were described and analyzed and they were gathered in four groups Control group with higher socioeconomic status, Control group with lower socioeconomic status, Flood group, and Drought group. At time point 1, children from all groups did not substantially differ in general behavioral problems, but PTSS scores significantly differentiate the groups. At time point 2, the Flood group presented a pattern of recovery about PTSS. For the Drought group, a persistence and stability pattern of PTSS was verified. Post-disaster longitudinal studies are essential to elucidate how psychological distress progress over time and to understand the relationship between mental health and exposure to trauma.

Climate Change and Children’s Mental Health: A Developmental Perspective

“…Studies of climate-change-related exposures and mental-health outcomes of children remain scarce, especially over the long term (Magalhaes et al, 2020;Berrang-Ford et al, 2021;Helldén et al, 2021). There is a need for well-controlled studies that describe the pathways and quantify the effects of acute (e.g., floods, wildfires), subacute (e.g., heat waves), and chronic stressors (e.g., droughts, food shortages) on psychological development and mental-health vulnerability.…”