CA23113 - Climate change impacts on mental health in Europe (CliMent)

Mental health problems are a major issue in Europe and climate change is a force majeure that poses a tangible risk with unforeseeable consequences. Yet, the link between climate change and mental health remains largely unexplored, especially with respect to impact assessment at individual and societal level, and treatment possibilities. CliMent aims: a) to better understand how climate change affects mental health in Europe; b) to explore the coping strategies and further develop them; c) to implement short-term behavioural interventions to instigate societal action; and d) to implement long-term ways to promote sustainability. This will be achieved through four working groups (WGs) working in coordination to conduct systematic and scoping reviews, produce surveys and reports, and organise knowledge dissemination activities. WG1 will assess mental health impacts of climate change; WG2 will identify adaptive strategies and treatment possibilities; WG3 will map out short-term behavioural interventions to instigate societal actions; while WG4 will assess long-term strategies to enable sustainability. CliMent will harness the potential of the European network and will bridge multiple disciplines to tackle climate change-related mental health challenges. The expected outcomes are manifold and multifaceted including (but not limited to): accumulation and consolidation of scientific evidence; career support for mental health scientists and care providers; empowerment of citizens, educators, and policymakers via Communities of Practice specialised in dealing with the effects of climate change on mental health. As such, CliMent will help Europe maintain its individual and societal well-being amidst the challenges posed by climate change.