The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Stressors on Maternal Mental Health: A Narrative Review

Climate change presents an urgent and growing threat to global health, with particularly profound implications for maternal mental health. Pregnant and postpartum women are uniquely vulnerable to climate-related stressors due to physiological, psychological, and social sensitivities during the perinatal period. However, this intersection remains critically underexplored in public health research and policy. This narrative review critically examines and synthesizes the emerging evidence on the impact of climate-related environmental stressors, including extreme heat, air pollution, natural disasters, food insecurity, and displacement, on maternal mental health outcomes. It explores how these stressors contribute to increased risks of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, postpartum depression, and trauma-related symptoms. A structured literature search of PubMed and Web of Science identified 33 high-quality studies published between 2012 and 2025, which were analyzed to identify patterns, gaps, and key mechanisms of vulnerability. Findings reveal that climate change exacerbates maternal mental health risks through interrelated pathways involving direct environmental exposures, disrupted access to care, psychosocial stress, and systemic inequities. Climate change adversely affects fetal outcomes through heat exposure, air pollution, natural disasters, and environmental toxins, increasing risks of preterm birth, low birthweight, stillbirth, and impaired child development. Despite growing recognition of these links, maternal mental health remains insufficiently integrated into climate resilience planning and healthcare systems. Addressing this gap requires an interdisciplinary, equity-focused approach that embeds maternal well-being within climate adaptation strategies. Proactive, inclusive policies and interventions are essential to mitigate emerging threats and promote resilience for mothers, families, and communities in the face of rapidly changing climate.