Climate change and mental health within the African context.

Abstract

Africa is ecologically sensitive, with vulnerable communities which are at particular risk of the associations and impacts of climate change. Serious climatic events can result in traumatic stress, developing into chronic psychopathological and psychiatric patterns. Nonetheless, there remains a lack of psychiatric studies on mental disorders associated with climate change within the African context. There is a need in Africa for robust complex adaptive integrated research concerning climate change impacts and associations on and with mental health and healthcare systems, policy and practice, so that relevant interventions may be implemented and strengthened.