Exposure To Climate Disasters Leads To Worse Mental Health: University Of Melbourne Study

The new study by the University of Melbourne has called for improved planning for disaster recovery support and a new screening process for general practitioners.

Study In Australia: The University of Melbourne has conducted new research that says that multiple exposure to climate disasters results in worse mental health. For the person who experiences multiple climate disasters in a short time, such as within a period of one or two years, their mental health worsens even more.

The study included data from 2009 to 2019 of individuals across Australia who have experienced repeated exposure to disasters such as bushfires, floods, or cyclones. The research has not only called for improved planning for disaster recovery support but also a new screening process for general practitioners and changes to how communities are supported.

Dr Claire Leppold, Research Fellow in Community Resilience at the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health commented, “Unfortunately we know that future generations will experience multiple disasters throughout their lifetimes and it is now estimated that children born today are expected to experience seven times more disasters across their lifetimes than past generations."

"We are starting to get a better picture of what people need in their recovery after disasters and what we can do to ensure that health services, governments and emergency service organisations can effectively support people through multiple disasters. On the basis of these findings, we argue that clinical services, such as GPs, need to screen for past disaster exposures, and emergency services need to reach at-risk groups and ensure that planning for recovery considers the effects of past disasters, not just the most recent disaster," added Dr Claire Leppold.

Link Of Climate Disasters And Mental Health: More Details

The research has analyzed the data of over 1500 people exposed to a minimum of one disaster. Their mental conditions were compared to those who did not experience disasters during the same period, they are 880 Australians with similar sociodemographic profiles.

While commenting on this, the Director of the Disaster, Climate and Adversity Unit at the University of Melbourne, Professor Lisa Gibbs, said, "It was increasingly important to understand the public health impacts of multiple disaster exposures in a climate-changed world. The detailed new findings in this study are exactly what is needed to help guide the necessary changes in disaster planning and recovery services.”

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