The tip of the iceberg? Climate change, detention settings and mental health.

Abstract

The climate emergency holds profound and immediate threats to our health and wellbeing. The World Health Organization (2021) has estimated the impact on the social and environmental determinants of health; direct damagecosts to healthcare may reach two to four billion per annum by 2030. A recent Lancet report highlighted inequities in the climate crisis, illustrating how socioeconomically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities will be overburdened (Romanello et al., 2021). Correspondingly, others depict climate change as a threat amplifier, which will exacerbate existing disparities (Kjellstrom & McMichael, 2013). Psychiatrists have identified similar paradigms, with marginalised groups disproportionately affected (Cianconi et al., 2020; Hayes et al., 2018). People living in detention constitute some of the most vulnerable individuals in society and climate change will worsen their already precarious circumstances. As general clinical interventions and preventive measures amidst the clinical emergency remain underdeveloped (Obradovich & Minor, 2022), we wish to emphasise social psychiatry’s importance in shaping sustainable solutions within detention settings.