Mental Health

Climate change is leading to more extreme weather around the world, including soaring temperatures and drought, affecting our physical and mental wellbeing.

In Kenya, where communities are especially vulnerable to weather events, the changing climate can be extremely damaging to mental health. Losing crops and animals can lead to loss of livelihoods, food insecurity and forced migration. Feeling anxious or hopeless because of climate-related disasters and more chronic environmental changes can disrupt relationships, employment, and at its worst, lead to suicide.

Even in areas not yet hit by climate change, worries about the future can lead to 'eco-anxiety'. Most studies exploring eco-anxiety have focused on wealthier countries like the USA and UK, but it is also crucial to understand how it affects more vulnerable populations, such as young people and those living in urban and rural environments.

Dr Symon Kariuki and Dr Claire Niedzwiedz, from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and University of Glasgow (respectively), will explore in-depth how climate change is affecting people’s mental health and wellbeing in Kenya. The team will develop methods for measuring eco-anxiety within a new cultural context. Understanding these effects is vital for rolling out targeted interventions and support systems that can mitigate the psychological toll of climate change.