Disasters and mental health in rural and remote areas

Mental health problems cause profound suffering and are worthy of attention for that reason alone. But despite policy and service reform, such problems remain as common, expensive and disabling as they were a decade ago.

Vulnerable people and places are worst affected by weather-related
disasters, especially those most reliant on the land. 

Bad mental health erodes financial and personal resources, and undermines resilience and adaptive capacity in affected families, workplaces and communities. So it’s vital to foresee threats that might compromise mental health.

Climate change is one such threat. Our world faces potentially catastrophic warming and we have limited capacity to adapt to rapid or extreme climatic changes. As the world’s most variable climate, our continent is the canary in the mine. We have a need and an obligation to invest in understanding and responding effectively to this threat.

Read the piece on The Conversation by the Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Associate Dean Research, University of Canberra, Helen Louise Berry - “Disasters and mental health in rural and remote areas.”