Risk Factors for Mental Disorders and Infant Mental Health in Climate Change

Abstract

Today, climate change is no longer an impending threat, but a devastating reality with alarming predictions for the future. Climate change poses an increasingly important risk factor for food security, the amount of available water, health, shelter, agriculture and natural ecosystems. There is growing awareness of both the direct and indirect effects of climate change on physical health. The effects of climate change on mental health, however, are less well-known and frequently neglected. One of the main reasons for concern about the impact of climate change on the next generation is that the group that is most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are infants and children. In this section, possible risk factors of climate change for infant and child mental health will be discussed.