A meta-ethnography of global research on the mental health and emotional impacts of climate change on older adults

Abstract

Older adults are argued to be one of the more vulnerable populations to the adverse impacts of climate change on mental health. There has been no meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature on their lived experiences of these impacts. This review adopted a systematic search and a meta-ethnography approach to develop a new conceptual understanding of how climate change affects older adults' mental health and wellbeing globally. Nineteen papers were identified on climate-related extreme weather events (n = 13) and overall climate awareness (n = 6). The synthesis mapped the reciprocal and refutational relationships of nine third-order constructs to explain the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on older adults' mental health and wellbeing. The direct impacts were seen in the mental health problems due to the experiences of extreme weather events, in the anxiety about the future of others, and grief responses to the changing environment. Interactions between climate factors and individual (e.g. physical health) and systemic vulnerability (e.g. social support, economic strength) contributed to mental health and adjustment difficulties or resilient responses. The emotional responses and older adults’ reflections on their roles in the climate crisis varied depending on proximity of climate threats. The results revealed several adaptive responses and resilience factors, important for the wellbeing of older adults and their communities. Findings have policy implications for including older adults in climate discourses and adaptations. Future research should consider the relevance of the conceptual model to elder cultures and climate exposures not represented in this review.