Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to global health, with far-reaching consequences for mental health and well-being, particularly in communities affected by environmental disasters. This paper investigated the psychological impact of climate change on mental health: A study of anxiety, depression and trauma in communities affected by environmental disasters. A sample of 481 individuals who had experienced environmental disasters was selected through the purposive random sampling technique. Research instruments used include Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale (PHQ-9) and Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ). Three hypotheses were formulated and tested by means of simple linear regression analysis at the .05 level of significance. Results revealed significant impacts of climate change on anxiety (t = 10.296, p < .0005), depression (t = 8.459, p < .0005) and trauma (t = 13.836, p < .0005). It is therefore recommended, among others, that communities affected by environmental disasters should have access to mental health support services that specifically address anxiety, depression and trauma.
Ayodele et al. (Sat,) studied this question.