- Climate-driven temperature increases heighten risks for people with mental and behavioural disorders beyond acute events like heatwaves and bushfires.
- Research focuses on event-driven outcomes, overlooking cumulative effects of chronic climatic exposure and indoor thermal inequities affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
- Addressing gaps requires co-design, place-based research, health system adaptation and policy integration to deliver targeted, equitable and responsive interventions.
Australas Psychiatry. 2026 May 30:10398562261455814. doi: 10.1177/10398562261455814. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Climate change-driven increases in ambient temperature pose significant risks for individuals with mental and behavioural disorders, yet current research remains dominated by event-driven outcomes (e.g. heatwaves and bushfires). This framing overlooks the cumulative effects of chronic climatic exposures, particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations where indoor conditions often exceed safe thresholds. We highlight key knowledge gaps and the need for inclusive, place-based research that integrates lived experience, service accessibility, and clinical care. Addressing these gaps requires co-design, health system adaptation, and policy integration to ensure interventions are targeted, equitable, and responsive to Australia’s evolving climate-mental health challenge.
PMID:42218575 | DOI:10.1177/10398562261455814
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