India’s rapid urbanization, population growth, and reliance on climate-sensitive sectors make it highly vulnerable to the mental health impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events and environmental degradation disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, yet mental health consequences remain under-addressed in policies and interventions. This narrative review examines the effects of climate change on mental health in India, highlighting risks for vulnerable groups and underscoring the need for climate-sensitive mental health policies and interventions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Searches covered the period 2000–2024, and included articles reported in English; we included empirical studies, reviews, case reports and government documents focused on Indian populations and excluded non-India studies and papers without mental-health outcomes. Study quality was appraised using standard checklists, and data were synthesized thematically to identify population-specific vulnerabilities and psychosocial outcomes. Climate change exacerbates anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress among children, women, the older adults, and rural and urban communities. Mental health must be integrated into India’s climate adaptation and disaster management strategies. Strengthening community-based interventions, awareness programs, and mental health infrastructure will enhance resilience against climate-induced psychological distress. The review applies an eco-social framework to conceptualize pathways linking climate stressors, displacement, and socio-economic disruption to mental health outcomes and identifies the need for longitudinal, culturally validated, and implementation-oriented research.
Basistha et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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