Unheard voices: the overlooked mental health toll of climate change in vulnerable communities.

Abstract

Climate change has an increasing physical and mental health toll on young people globally. In this Perspective, we suggest that the extent of mental health impacts is likely to be underestimated in the low- and middle-income countries which are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We highlight a strong global inverse relationship between internet connectivity and climate vulnerability, which poses significant challenges for understanding climate change's worldwide mental health impacts and for developing effective mitigation strategies. Inclusive methodologies that enable engagement with offline but climate-vulnerable communities are therefore needed. Such locally grounded mental health research is essential to ensure that climate policies are informed by the lived experiences of populations on the frontlines of the crisis, many of whom remain digitally disconnected and excluded from much current research.