A Systematic Review of Climate Emotions and Mental Health in Adults

There is increasing evidence of mental health implications of climate change. However, due to the complexity of this issue, more knowledge is needed to inform effective responses. This study conducted a systematic review of literature on the relationship between climate emotions and mental health in adults. The goal was to synthesise existing research and identify future research priorities. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and involved searching seven electronic databases. The inclusion criteria specified peer-reviewed published in English after 2000, focusing on climate emotions and mental health in participants over 18 years old. Two authors independently reviewed the studies and assessed their quality. Out of 8,495 identified papers, 36 studies meet the criteria. Most of the included studies were cross-sectional (n = 27) and used quantitative descriptive surveys (n = 27). The majority of included studies were published between January 2020 and January 2023 (n = 26) and primarily involved participants from high-income countries (n = 32). Results from the included papers suggest a relationship between climate emotions and negative mental health in most cases (30 out of 36). However, this finding must be interpreted cautiously since just over half of included studies were considered lower quality (19 of 36). Future research should aim to improve the conceptual clarity of climate emotions and explore potential causal and resilience factors. Additionally, investigations should consider vulnerable populations outside of high-income countries. Furthermore, increased collaboration between researchers and practitioners is necessary to improve conceptual coherence, and practice.