The Effects of Wildfires on the Mental and Physical Health of School-Age Children in North America: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background

Wildfires are occurring more often and with greater intensity, leading to longer and harsher fire seasons. As a result, children are more frequently exposed to wildfire smoke, which increases their risk of mental and physical health effects.

Purpose

The purpose of our scoping review is to explore the current literature on what is known about the direct and indirect impacts of wildfires on the mental and physical health of school-age children in North America (5 to 18-year-olds).

Methods

A health sciences librarian-assisted literature search, with input from the research team, was performed.

Results

A total of 16 studies were selected. Common mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suicidal thinking, and post-traumatic stress disorder have been identified. The findings of this review are in line with recent studies showing a connection between adult wildfire exposure and respiratory conditions; however, no cardiovascular health effects in children were identified.

Conclusions

The available studies in our review demonstrate that wildfires do increase the impacts on both mental and physical health postexposure in school-age children. Future research should specifically include larger samples, more qualitative and longitudinal studies that can more effectively analyze the effects of wildfire events on psychological factors over time, conceptual frameworks, and exposure metrics specific for PM_2.5 from wildfire smoke.