Climate Change and Mental Health

Climate change and mental health are two of the most significant and pressing challenges facing societies across the world. This Special Issue will be devoted to publishing research (call for papers) that can shed light on the multiple ways by which climate change and mental health are interrelated. This could be through, but is not limited to, a focus on marginalized communities and vulnerable populations; stress or trauma caused by rising global temperatures and sea-levels and extreme weather events; and psychological distress caused by the awareness and experiences of escalating climate threats and climate inaction.

We also welcome research on how to mitigate the negative mental health impacts of climate change, and novel evidence-based interventions promoting human and planetary resilience and wellbeing. This could be through, but is not limited to a focus on nature-based solutions and interventions or Virtual Reality (VR) solutions; accessibility to nature and green spaces (in person or through VR) for more people including vulnerable groups, complex interventions addressing climate anxiety and grief and facilitating supportive communities for climate action and mental health.

We encourage studies or commentaries on sustainable development for promoting planetary and mental health, including the role of inner dimensions and transformation in sustainability, and the relationships between climate change awareness, life style changes, and civic engagement in promoting both planetary and human thriving and wellbeing. We encourage studies around social justice related to climate change and mental health, including socially-just transitions to climate resilience in order to reduce the vulnerability of people and communities to climate change impacts through both nature-based- and VR solutions.

The Special Issue encourages the submission of original articles based on both quantitative or qualitative data or mixed methods, and methodological papers, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, position papers, short communications and commentaries. All manuscripts will follow standard journal peer-review practices, and those accepted for publication will appear in the Special Issue on "Climate Change and Mental Health".