Community Dialogue & Just Transition
Past Event
2022-04-12
《Climate Change x Social Issues》Climate Community Dialogue series: Interrelation between Climate Change and Mental Health
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the second part of the Sixth Assessment Report “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” in February this week. It mentioned the impact of climate change on mental health, including anxiety and stress, especially for children, adolescents, elderly and those with potential health conditions. In view of this, on 12th April 2022, CCIL held the sixth community dialogue via Zoom, themed on “Interrelation between Climate Change and Mental Health”. This community dialogue was held with three aims, which are to 1) explore present and anticipated climate-related stress and risks to mental health, 2) to discuss current mental health-related services, policies, practices in light of climate challenges and 3) to brainstorm proactive and adaptive solutions in response to climate change.
Climate change could induce mental health issues, or even exacerbate the health condition of people living with a mental health issue. Nonetheless, it is rare for the general public to realize the interrelation between the two. Therefore, participants from six organizations providing mental health services were invited to discuss and share how to support the needs of the general public and people living with a mental health issue under the stress of climate change. First, we invited Prof. Emily Chan, from the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to share the interconnection between climate change and mental health, as well as the impact of climate change on Hong Kong citizens. “Notwithstanding there is a scarcity of extensive research on the impact of climate change on mental health in Hong Kong, the repercussions are self-evident. And we have to work together to offer support to people living with a mental health issue under climate change.” said Prof. Chan.
Participants shared the threats posed by extreme weather to people living with a mental health issue and their needs. They mentioned that the understanding of the general public and people living with a mental health issue towards the relationship between climate change and mental health are not adequate, and there is a lack of simple and easy-to-understand information or guidance. Moreover, due to the paucity of technological support, it is difficult to receive information on climate disasters, so people living with a mental health issue cannot receive appropriate support. To solve the above issues, we desperately need cross-sectoral cooperation to raise the awareness of people living with a mental health issue to seek help proactively. Besides, we can also use existing resources and networks to build a community support network. Different organizations and companies can also offer guidance on mental health support and training to strengthen support for the general public and people living with a mental health issue, such as mental health first aid course. Via this community dialogue, CCIL hopes to gather proactive and adaptive solutions in response to climate change with various organizations, and promote the formulation of supporting policies.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the participants for their active participation and willingness to share the content with colleagues after attending this activity. We also appreciate our collaborative effort to reinforce support for the general public and people with a mental health issue under climate change. Here’s the list of participant organisations (according to the alphabetical order):
Participating Organisations:
Concord Mutual Aid Club Alliance
New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Society for Community Organization
Stewards Take Your Way Clubhouse (Community Centre for Mental Wellness)
The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong
Urban Acupuncture Hong Kong