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Toor JSK, Lavoie JG, Mudryj A. Inuit youth health and wellbeing programming in Canada. Int J Circumpolar Health 2024; 83:2376799. [PMID: 38988226 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2024.2376799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Inuit youth face challenges in maintaining their wellbeing, stemming from continued impacts of colonisation. Recent work documented that urban centres, such as Winnipeg Canada, have large Inuit populations comprised of a high proportion of youth. However, youth lack culturally appropriate health and wellbeing services. This review aimed to scan peer-reviewed and grey literature on Inuit youth health and wellbeing programming in Canada. This review is to serve as an initial phase in the development of Inuit-centric youth programming for the Qanuinngitsiarutiksait program of research. Findings will support further work of this program of research, including the development of culturally congruent Inuit-youth centric programming in Winnipeg. We conducted an environmental scan and used an assessment criteria to assess the effectiveness of the identified programs. Results showed that identified programs had Inuit involvement in creation framing programming through Inuit knowledge and mostly informed by the culture as treatment approach. Evaluation of programs was diffcult to locate, and it was hard to discren between programming, pilots or explorative studies. Despite the growing urban population, more non-urban programming was found. Overall, research contributes to the development of effective strategies to enhance the health and wellbeing of Inuit youth living in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevan S K Toor
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Josée G Lavoie
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Adriana Mudryj
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Ready E, Ross CT, Beheim B, Parrott J. Indigenous food production in a carbon economy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317686121. [PMID: 39074272 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317686121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Indigenous communities in the North American Arctic are characterized by mixed economies that feature hunting, fishing, gathering, and trapping activities-and associated sharing practices-alongside the formal wage economy. The region is also undergoing rapid social, economic, and climate changes, including, in Canada, carbon taxation, which is impacting the cost of fuel used in local food harvesting. Because of the importance of local foods to nutrition, health, and well-being in Arctic Indigenous communities, there is an urgent need to better understand the sensitivity of Arctic food systems to social, economic, and climate changes and to develop plans for mitigating potential adverse effects. Here, we develop a Bayesian model to calculate the substitution value and carbon emissions of market replacements for local food harvests in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Canada. Our estimates suggest that under plausible scenarios, replacing locally harvested foods with imported market substitutes would cost over 3.1 million Canadian dollars per year and emit over 1,000 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per year, regardless of the shipping scenario. In contrast, we estimate that gasoline inputs to harvesting cost approximately $295,000 and result in 315 to 497 tons of emissions. These results indicate that climate change policies that fail to account for local food production may undermine emissions targets and adversely impact food security and health in Arctic Indigenous communities, who already experience a high cost of living and high rates of food insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth Ready
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Cody T Ross
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Jenn Parrott
- Innovation, Inuvialuit Science & Climate Change Division, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0, Canada
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Kurt A, Dinç F, Güneş Şan E, Uzun İB. Development and validation of the climate change health protection behaviors scale for adolescents: a methodological study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024:1-14. [PMID: 39037213 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2382903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop and validate the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale for adolescents. A total of 1036 adolescents were recruited from middle and high schools. The development of the assessment scale was carried out in three steps: item generation, content validity evaluation, and psychometric evaluation. Psychometric testing was conducted to determine the relationship between the resulting factors and the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale and Climate Change Awareness Scale. A 28-item scale was developed, consisting of four factors that account for 65.0% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.874. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale and both the Climate Change Awareness Scale and the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale for adolescents. These results suggest that the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating health protection behaviors related to climate change in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Kurt
- Bartın University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing Department, Pediatric Nursing, Bartın, Turkey
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Qiu S, Qiu J. From individual resilience to collective response: reframing ecological emotions as catalysts for holistic environmental engagement. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1363418. [PMID: 38903457 PMCID: PMC11188184 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1363418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ongoing international study on the mental health implications of climate change has prompted a deeper exploration of ecological emotions such as eco-anxiety, eco-worry and eco-grief, which are associated with environmental degradation and the escalating climate crisis. Although psychological and mental health literature has mainly presented preliminary conceptual analyses, the understanding of ecological emotions remains unclear. This narrative review aims to clarify the definition, highlight precipitating factors, and outline the effects of ecological emotions on mental health, emphasizing the need for thorough research to shift the nonclinical intervention approach from merely promoting individual resilience to encouraging collective engagement. Our analysis of the literature reveals that the existing theoretical framework, which predominantly focuses on bolstering individual resilience, provides only temporary relief for acute symptoms without addressing the foundational social and environmental factors that trigger these ecological emotions. We conclude that it is crucial to overcome the limitations of Western anthropocentrism's human-to-human interaction approach and embrace the unity of humans and nature to effectively manage the increasing ecological emotions. This perspective draws insights from the holistic and collective wisdom of indigenous cultures and traditional Chinese philosophy, offering a potential pathway toward maintaining a sustainable emotional balance amid the worsening global ecological turmoil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shicun Qiu
- School of Foreign Languages, Sichuan University of Arts and Science, Dazhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiacun Qiu
- Business School, Guangdong Business and Technology University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China
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León-Pérez G, Bakhtiari E. How Education Shapes Indigenous Health Inequalities in the USA and Mexico. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024:10.1007/s40615-024-01922-4. [PMID: 38411797 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-01922-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Indigenous peoples around the world face significant health disparities relative to the dominant groups in their countries, yet the magnitude and patterns of health disparities vary across countries. We use data from the National Health Interview Survey and Mexican Family Life Survey to examine the health of Indigenous peoples in Mexico and American Indians and Alaska Natives in the USA and to evaluate how they fare relative to the majority populations in their countries (non-Indigenous Mexicans and non-Hispanic Whites, respectively). We assess disparities in self-rated health and activity limitations, with a focus on how Indigenous health disparities intersect with educational gradients in health. Regression analyses reveal three primary findings. First, Indigenous health disparities are larger in the USA than in Mexico. Second, differences in educational attainment account for most of the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Mexico, but less than half in the USA. Third, in both countries, health is moderated by educational attainment such that between-group disparities are largest at the highest levels of education. However, for Indigenous Mexicans there is a "cross-over" in which Indigenous Mexicans report better health at the lowest level of education. Overall, this study finds a weak relationship between education and Indigenous health, and raises the question about the validity of using traditional measures of SES in Indigenous contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela León-Pérez
- Department of Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Elyas Bakhtiari
- Department of Sociology, William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA.
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Poliakova N, Riva M, Fletcher C, Desrochers-Couture M, Courtemanche Y, Moisan C, Fraser S, Pépin C, Bélanger RE, Muckle G. Sociocultural factors in relation to mental health within the Inuit population of Nunavik. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2024; 115:83-95. [PMID: 36344873 PMCID: PMC10830993 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00705-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Built on the Inuit determinants approach of health, this study aimed to identify sociocultural factors associated with mental health among Inuit of Nunavik to guide programs and services. METHODS The data were collected through the Qanuilirpitaa? 2017, a survey characterized by the involvement of several Inuit representatives. Depressive symptoms (10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale, CES-D), lifetime suicide ideation and attempts, and past-year ideation were self-reported mental health indicators. Sociocultural factors represented four thematic domains: social support, community activities, traditional practices, and cultural identity. Analyses tested whether the sociocultural factors were associated with indicators of mental health using weighted multivariate regressions. RESULTS Among the sociocultural factors considered, family cohesion and weekly hunting/fishing activities were associated with lower depression scores. Community cohesion and lower cultural identity (centrality scale) were associated with a lower likelihood of past-year and lifetime ideation while family cohesion was related to a lower likelihood of lifetime attempts. People with psychological distress (higher CES-D, suicidal ideation or attempts) were more likely to participate in healing and wellness activities. CONCLUSION Although limited by their cross-sectional character, these analyses, based on the community component of the Qanuilirpitaa?, suggest that strengthening of family and community cohesion, and support of regular hunting and fishing deserve further attention as potential cumulative preventive avenues for Inuit mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Poliakova
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mylene Riva
- Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher Fletcher
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mireille Desrochers-Couture
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caroline Moisan
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Fraser
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Camille Pépin
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard E Bélanger
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Research Centre of CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
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Rousseau C. Climate change and sexual and reproductive health: what implications for future research? Sex Reprod Health Matters 2023; 31:2232196. [PMID: 37594319 PMCID: PMC10444000 DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2023.2232196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Rousseau
- PhD candidate, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
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White BP, Breakey S, Brown MJ, Smith JR, Tarbet A, Nicholas PK, Ros AMV. Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Among Vulnerable Populations Globally: An Integrative Review. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:66. [PMID: 37810609 PMCID: PMC10558031 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change has been shown to be directly linked to multiple physiological sequelae and to impact health consequences. However, the impact of climate change on mental health globally, particularly among vulnerable populations, is less well understood. Objective To explore the mental health impacts of climate change in vulnerable populations globally. Methods We performed an integrative literature review to identify published articles that addressed the research question: What are the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations globally? The Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model served as a theoretical model during the review process and data synthesis. Findings/Results One hundred and four articles were selected for inclusion in this review after a comprehensive review of 1828 manuscripts. Articles were diverse in scope and populations addressed. Land-vulnerable persons (either due to occupation or geographic location), Indigenous persons, children, older adults, and climate migrants were among the vulnerable populations whose mental health was most impacted by climate change. The most prevalent mental health responses to climate change included solastalgia, suicidality, depression, anxiety/eco-anxiety, PTSD, substance use, insomnia, and behavioral disturbance. Conclusions Mental health professionals including physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other healthcare providers have the opportunity to mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations through assessment, preventative education and care. An inclusive and trauma-informed response to climate-related disasters, use of validated measures of mental health, and a long-term therapeutic relationship that extends beyond the immediate consequences of climate change-related events are approaches to successful mental health care in a climate-changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Patrick White
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Suellen Breakey
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Margaret J. Brown
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Jenny Rand Smith
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Amanda Tarbet
- SFPE Foundation, 9711 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, US
| | - Patrice K. Nicholas
- Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health, MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1@st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Ana M. Viamonte Ros
- Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, US
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Tsuji SRJ, Zuk AM, Solomon A, Edwards-Wheesk R, Ahmed F, Tsuji LJS. What Is Wellbeing, and What Is Important for Wellbeing? Indigenous Voices from across Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6656. [PMID: 37681798 PMCID: PMC10487260 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20176656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous peoples' perceptions of wellbeing differ from non-Indigenous constructs. Thus, it is imperative to recognize that Indigenous peoples will conceptualize wellbeing from their perspectives and set their own wellbeing priorities. In keeping with this viewpoint, the aims of the present study were to conceptualize wellbeing and determine what was (and is) important for wellbeing from Canadian Indigenous peoples' perspectives. In this paper, we take a partnership approach based on the elements of respect, equity, and empowerment. One primary data source and two existing data sources were examined and analyzed thematically utilizing a combination approach of deductive and inductive coding. Indigenous leadership and organizations viewed wellbeing holistically and conceptualized wellbeing multidimensionally. From across Canada, wellbeing was communicated as physical, economic, political, social, and cultural. The scaling of wellbeing represented a collectivist perspective, and land was the connecting thread between all types of wellbeing, being a place to practice cultural traditions, reassert one's Indigenous identity, find solace, and pass on Indigenous knowledge and languages. Although wellbeing was discussed in the context of the individual, family, community, and nation, wellbeing was most often discussed at the cultural level by regional and national Indigenous leadership and organizations. Even in acknowledging the great cultural diversity among Canadian Indigenous nations, four concordant themes were identified regionally and nationally, with respect to what was important for cultural wellbeing: land and water, sustainability, and inherent obligations; being on the land, and indigenous languages and knowledge systems; sustainable development; and meaningful involvement in decision-making, and free, prior, and informed consent. Taking into account these themes is foundational for any interaction with Indigenous peoples, especially in the context of land, culture, and development. There needs to be a new beginning on the journey to reconciliation with land and cultural wellbeing at the forefront.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. J. Tsuji
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; (A.M.Z.); (F.A.); (L.J.S.T.)
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Aleksandra M. Zuk
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; (A.M.Z.); (F.A.); (L.J.S.T.)
- School of Nursing, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Andrew Solomon
- Fort Albany First Nation, Fort Albany, ON P0L 1H0, Canada
| | | | - Fatima Ahmed
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; (A.M.Z.); (F.A.); (L.J.S.T.)
| | - Leonard J. S. Tsuji
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; (A.M.Z.); (F.A.); (L.J.S.T.)
- Department of Health and Society, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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Povey J, Raphiphatthana B, Torok M, Nagel T, Mills PPJR, Sells JRH, Shand F, Sweet M, Lowell A, Dingwall K. An emerging framework for digital mental health design with Indigenous young people: a scoping review of the involvement of Indigenous young people in the design and evaluation of digital mental health interventions. Syst Rev 2023; 12:108. [PMID: 37393283 PMCID: PMC10314399 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02262-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indigenous young people worldwide possess unique protective factors that support wellbeing. However, they experience mental illness at higher rates than their non-indigenous counterparts. Digital mental health (dMH) resources can increase access to structured, timely, and culturally tailored mental health interventions by reducing structural and attitudinal barriers to accessing treatment. The involvement of Indigenous young people in dMH resource development is recommended, however, no guidelines exist on how this can best be facilitated. METHODS A scoping review examining processes to involve Indigenous young people in developing or evaluating dMH interventions was conducted. Studies reported between 1990 and 2023 involving Indigenous young people aged 12-24 years, originating from Canada, the USA, New Zealand, and Australia, in the development or evaluation of dMH interventions were eligible for inclusion. Following a three-step search process, four electronic databases were searched. Data were extracted, synthesized, and described under three categories: dMH intervention attributes, study design, and alignment with research best practice. Best practice recommendations for Indigenous research and participatory design principles derived from the literature were identified and synthesised. Included studies were assessed against these recommendations. Consultation with two Senior Indigenous Research Officers ensured Indigenous worldviews informed analysis. RESULTS Twenty-four studies describing eleven dMH interventions met inclusion criteria. Studies included formative, design, pilot, and efficacy studies. Overall, most included studies demonstrated a high degree of Indigenous governance, capacity building, and community benefit. All studies adapted their research processes to ensure that local community protocols were followed and most aligned these within an Indigenous research paradigm. Formal agreements regarding existing and created intellectual property and implementation evaluations were rare. Outcomes were the primary focus of reporting, with limited detailed descriptions of governance and decision-making processes or strategies for managing predictable tensions between co-design stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS This study identified recommendations for undertaking participatory design with Indigenous young people and evaluated the current literature against these criteria. Common gaps were evident in the reporting of study processes. Consistent, in-depth reporting is needed to allow assessment of approaches for this hard-to-reach population. An emergent framework, informed by our findings, for guiding the involvement of Indigenous young people in the design and evaluation of dMH tools is presented. TRIAL REGISTRATION Available via osf.io/2nkc6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie Povey
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Buaphrao Raphiphatthana
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Michelle Torok
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Tricia Nagel
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Patj Patj Janama Robert Mills
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Joshua Russell Howard Sells
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Fiona Shand
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Michelle Sweet
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Anne Lowell
- Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
| | - Kylie Dingwall
- Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Casuarina, NT 0810 Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, 10 Grevillia Drive, Alice Springs Campus, NT Australia
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Yue Z, Chen J. Direct, indirect, and vicarious nature experiences collectively predict preadolescents' self-reported nature connectedness and conservation behaviors. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15542. [PMID: 37361038 PMCID: PMC10290449 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The quantity and context of children's nature experiences are undergoing significant changes, exacerbating a pervasive negative cycle that could impact future conservation efforts. Therefore, it is essential to conduct further studies on the potential impacts of these changes on children's willingness to engage in conservation practices. Methods We surveyed 2,175 preadolescents (aged 9-12) from rural and city schools in Hangzhou, Kunming, and Xishuangbanna, China, regarding their nature experiences (direct, indirect, and vicarious) and self-reported nature connectedness and conservation behaviors. Results We found that children in urban areas have higher frequencies of indirect and vicarious experiences than those in rural areas, with some direct nature experiences seldom reported among city respondents. Direct, indirect, and vicarious nature experiences significantly predicted children's conservation behavior and collectively provided the highest predictive power for conservation behavior. Direct and vicarious experiences were strongly correlated with pro-nature behavior, and the latter with pro-environmental behavior. Emotional and cognitive connection with nature positively predicted conservation behavior, influenced by location and residence type. Discussion This study reveals that different types of nature experiences shape children's current conservation behaviors in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Yue
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
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Collings P, Ready E, Medina-Ramírez OM. An Ethnographic Model of Stress and Stress Management in Two Canadian Inuit Communities. JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/00220221231155105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
As part of the first stage of a community-based participatory research project with two communities in the Canadian Arctic—Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik, and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories—we conducted 57 interviews eliciting residents’ perceptions of pressing issues facing their communities, problems affecting health and wellbeing, and how researchers or other organized groups could help alleviate those problems. A recurrent theme that emerged during these interviews was having “no one to talk to.” Here, we focus on understanding why communication was a central theme using a grounded-theory approach to develop a model of Inuit stress management. Inuit in both Kangiqsujuaq and Ulukhaktok codify stress as isumaaluttuq, or excess worry, which often manifests physically and leads to social withdrawal. Because stress is believed to accumulate in the body, managing it involves decisions about whether to “Get It Out” or “Keep It In.” Keep It In is a potentially dangerous strategy because, if the problem does not resolve itself, accumulated stress may have harmful consequences. Inuit viewed talking to others as the most effective means to Get It Out, but respondents also identified numerous barriers to doing so. One important reason for this is that stress is transferable: Talking to others about a problem potentially increases the burden of stress on them. Consequently, Inuit may choose to Keep It In to avoid the potential negative consequences (for others or for oneself) of sharing bad thoughts. Based on this preliminary model, we consider questions for further inquiry and implications for community-based mental health programming in Inuit communities.
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Sri A, Bhugra D, Persaud A, Tribe R, Gnanapragasam S, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Torales J, Ventriglio A. Global mental health and climate change: A geo-psychiatry perspectiv. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 84:103562. [PMID: 37030088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate changes affect planet ecosystems, living beings, humans, including their lives, rights, economy, housing, migration, and both physical and mental health. Geo-psychiatry is a new discipline within the field of psychiatry studying the interface between various geo-political factors including geographical, political, economic, commercial and cultural determinants which affect society and psychiatry: it provides a holistic overview on global issues such as climate changes, poverty, public health and accessibility to health care. It identifies geopolitical factors and their effects at the international and national levels, as well as considers the politics of climate changes and poverty within this context. This paper then introduces the Compassion, Assertive Action, Pragmatism, and Evidence Vulnerability Index (CAPE-VI) as a global foreign policy index: CAPE-VI calculates how foreign aid should be prioritised for countries that are at risk or already considered to be fragile. These countries are characterised by various forms of conflict, disadvantaged by extremes of climate change, poverty, human rights abuses, and suffering from internal warfare or terrorism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sri
- Core Trainee Psychiatrist, Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust, Cornwall, UK
| | | | - Albert Persaud
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Rachel Tribe
- School of Psychology, UEL and Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
| | - Sam Gnanapragasam
- NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - João M Castaldelli-Maia
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, FMABC University Center, Santo André, SP 09060-870, Brazil
| | - Julio Torales
- Department of Medical Psychology, School of Medical Sciences, National University of Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Antonio Ventriglio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
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14
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Ahmed F, Liberda EN, Solomon A, Davey R, Sutherland B, Tsuji LJS. Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Niska (Goose) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3686. [PMID: 36834382 PMCID: PMC9958717 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Historically, goose harvesting provided a source of culturally significant, safe, and nutritious food for the Omushkego Cree of subarctic Ontario, Canada. Disruptions stemming from colonization and climate change have led to a decrease in harvesting, resulting in higher rates of food insecurity. The aim of the Niska program was to reconnect Elders and youth to revitalize goose harvesting activities and associated Indigenous knowledge within the community. The program and evaluation were built using a two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmumk) and community-based participatory research approach. Salivary cortisol, a biomedical measure of stress, was collected before (n = 13) and after (n = 13) participation in the spring harvest. Likewise, cortisol samples were collected before (n = 12) and after (n = 12) the summer harvest. Photovoice and semi-directed interviews were employed after the spring (n = 13) and summer (n = 12) harvests to identify key elements of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. The changes observed in cortisol levels for the spring (p = 0.782) and summer (p = 0.395) harvests were not statistically significant. However, there was a noteworthy increase in the subjective well-being observed through the qualitative measures (semi-directed interviews and photovoice), highlighting the importance of using multiple perspectives when assessing well-being, especially in Indigenous peoples. Future programs should incorporate multiple perspectives when addressing complex environmental and health issues, such as food security and environmental conservation, especially in Indigenous homelands worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ahmed
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Eric N. Liberda
- School of Occupation and Public Health, Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Andrew Solomon
- Fort Albany First Nation, Fort Albany, ON P0L 1H0, Canada
| | - Roger Davey
- Fort Albany First Nation, Fort Albany, ON P0L 1H0, Canada
| | - Bernard Sutherland
- Peetabeck Academy, Mundo Peetabeck Education Authority, Fort Albany, ON P0L 1H0, Canada
| | - Leonard J. S. Tsuji
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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15
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Ramadan R, Randell A, Lavoie S, Gao CX, Manrique PC, Anderson R, McDowell C, Zbukvic I. Empirical evidence for climate concerns, negative emotions and climate-related mental ill-health in young people: A scoping review. Early Interv Psychiatry 2023. [PMID: 36641809 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change represents a serious threat to human health, including mental health, due to both the traumatizing effects of extreme climate events and the psychological effect of worry about climate change. OBJECTIVES This scoping review aims to search the literature for original research investigating mental health and climate-related negative emotions in young people. Findings will help to understand the current landscape, gaps in the literature, and provide recommendations for future youth mental health research and practice. METHODS A scoping review of the literature examining negative emotions associated with climate change in young people was undertaken. Studies published prior to March 2022 were included if they examined mental ill-health (e.g., symptoms of depression or anxiety) or negative emotions (e.g., distress, worry, concern) associated with the threat of climate change. RESULTS Of 3939 articles screened, 26 met the inclusion criteria. Together, studies show that young people are worried about climate change. Negative emotions about climate change were correlated with symptoms of mental ill-health. Studies also explored coping strategies young people use to manage their distress caused by climate change. DISCUSSION The limited literature in this area indicates a key gap in youth mental health research. While available evidence suggests that young people are concerned about climate change, more research is needed on the relationship between climate-related negative emotions and mental ill-health. Clinicians should assess for and address climate-related negative emotions in young people. Mental health leaders are urged to advocate for actions to mitigate the mental health impact of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Ramadan
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Orygen, North Western Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alicia Randell
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suzie Lavoie
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paula Cruz Manrique
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebekah Anderson
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caitlin McDowell
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Isabel Zbukvic
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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16
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Collaboration in Mental Healthcare for Indigenous Children and Youth: Using Actor-Network Analyses to Better Understand Dynamics, Strengths, and Ongoing Challenges in Collaboration. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00942-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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17
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McGushin A, Gasparri G, Graef V, Ngendahayo C, Timilsina S, Bustreo F, Costello A. Adolescent wellbeing and climate crisis: adolescents are responding, what about health professionals? BMJ 2022; 379:e071690. [PMID: 36302556 PMCID: PMC9600164 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-071690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Alice McGushin and colleagues argue for recognition of the diverse ways in which climate change affects adolescent wellbeing and call for health professionals to work with them to respond to the crisis
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice McGushin
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, United Kingdom
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia Gasparri
- Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Viola Graef
- The MHPSS Collaborative, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Anthony Costello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, United Kingdom
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18
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Anderson K, Elder-Robinson E, Gall A, Ngampromwongse K, Connolly M, Letendre A, Willing E, Akuhata-Huntington Z, Howard K, Dickson M, Garvey G. Aspects of Wellbeing for Indigenous Youth in CANZUS Countries: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13688. [PMID: 36294264 PMCID: PMC9602510 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous children and young people (hereafter youth) across CANZUS nations embody a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. Despite the immense challenges facing these youth, many harness cultural and personal strengths to protect and promote their wellbeing. To support this for all youth, it is critical to understand what contributes to their wellbeing. This review aims to identify components contributing to wellbeing for Indigenous youth in CANZUS nations. Five databases were searched from inception to August 2022. Papers were eligible if they: focused on Indigenous youth in CANZUS nations; included views of youth or proxies; and focused on at least one aspect of wellbeing. We identified 105 articles for inclusion (Canada n = 42, Australia n = 27, Aotearoa New Zealand n = 8, USA n = 28) and our analysis revealed a range of thematic areas within each nation that impact wellbeing for Indigenous youth. Findings highlight the unique challenges facing Indigenous youth, as well as their immense capacity to harness cultural and personal strengths to navigate into an uncertain future. The commonalities of Indigenous youth wellbeing across these nations provide valuable insights into how information and approaches can be shared across borders to the benefit of all Indigenous youth and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Anderson
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
| | - Elaina Elder-Robinson
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
| | - Alana Gall
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
| | | | - Michele Connolly
- International Group for Indigenous Health Statistics, Columbia, MD 21045, USA
| | - Angeline Letendre
- Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund, Population, Public and Indigenous Health, Alberta Health Services, 102 Anderson Hall, 10959 102 ST NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 3V9, Canada
| | - Esther Willing
- Kōhatu–Centre for Hauora Māori, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | | | - Kirsten Howard
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michelle Dickson
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gail Garvey
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia
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19
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Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19127335. [PMID: 35742603 PMCID: PMC9224250 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The act of decolonizing knowledge systems involves recovering and renewing traditional, non-commodified cultural patterns, such as the sustenance of intergenerational relationships and traditional practices. A decline in beaver harvesting, which was once an integral part of the Omushkego Cree culture, has resulted in an overabundance of beavers and dams, which has negatively affected communities by increasing the local flooding events and impacting the water quality. The aim of the Amisk (beaver) program was to reconnect the Elders and youth to revitalize traditional on-the-land activities and, in the present case, beaver harvesting and associated activities within the community. The program and evaluation were built using a two-eyed seeing (Etuaptmumk) and community-based participatory research approach. Salivary cortisol, a biomedical measure of stress, was collected before and after participation in the program. Photovoice, along with semi-directed interviews, were employed to identify the key elements of well-being from a First Nations’ perspective. For the beaver harvesting activities, the changes observed in the cortisol concentrations were not statistically significant (p = 0.094). However, the act of beaver dam removal was associated with a statistically significant increase in the post-participation cortisol concentration (p = 0.021). It was noteworthy that increased stress during the removal of the beaver dams–as indicated by the elevated post-activity cortisol levels–were not reflected in a decrease in the qualitative measures (semi-directed interviews and photovoice) of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. In fact, there was a noted increase in the subjective well-being of the participants, which highlights the importance of multiple perspectives when assessing well-being, especially in Indigenous peoples. However, the cortisol findings of the present pilot project need to be interpreted with caution, due to the limited sample sizes.
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20
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Shifting Safeties and Mobilities on the Land in Arctic North America: A Systematic Approach to Identifying the Root Causes of Disaster. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14127061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Amid the surge in research on mobility and migration in the context of environmental change, little research has focused on the experiences of people for whom travel is cyclical and a part of daily, weekly, or seasonal life. For Inuit in Arctic North America, the land is the heart of cultural and community life. Disruption to time spent on the land is reported to impact the emotional health and well-being of individuals and communities. There is concern that environmental change is creating barriers to safe travel, constituting a creeping disaster. We systematically review and evaluate the literature for discussion of barriers to travel for Inuit in Arctic North America, using an approach from the field of disaster anthropology to identify root causes of constraints to mobility. We identify root causes of risk and barriers to time spent on the land. These emerge from historic and contemporary colonial policy and inequality, as opposed to environmental hazards per se, impacting people’s mobility in profound ways and enacting a form of slow violence. These results suggest a need to understand the underlying processes and institutions that put people at risk.
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21
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Lebel L, Paquin V, Kenny TA, Fletcher C, Nadeau L, Chachamovich E, Lemire M. Climate change and Indigenous mental health in the Circumpolar North: A systematic review to inform clinical practice. Transcult Psychiatry 2022; 59:312-336. [PMID: 34989262 PMCID: PMC9160950 DOI: 10.1177/13634615211066698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is disproportionally impacting the Circumpolar North, with particular impacts among Indigenous populations. Environmental changes are felt in many aspects of daily life of Northern communities, including both physical and mental health. Thus, health institutions from around the Arctic must meet emerging needs, while the phenomenon remains marginal to their southern counterparts. In this systematic review, we aimed to review current scientific knowledge on the mental health impacts of climate change in Indigenous Peoples across the Circumpolar North. Seven databases were searched. Original peer-reviewed research articles were included if they addressed links between climate change and mental health in Arctic or Subarctic Indigenous Populations. After extraction, data were synthesized using thematic analysis. Of the 26 articles that met inclusion criteria, 16 focused on Canadian Inuit communities and 21 were exclusively qualitative. Being on the land was identified as a central determinant of wellbeing. Immediate impacts of climate change on mental health were felt through restricted mobility and disrupted livelihoods. Effects on mental health were further felt through changes in culture and identity, food insecurity, interpersonal stress and conflicts, and housing problems. Various ways in how communities and individuals are coping with these effects were reported. Understanding climate-related pathways of mental health risks in the Arctic is crucial to better identify vulnerable groups and to foster resilience. Clinicians can play a role in recognizing and providing support for patients affected by these disruptions. Policies sensitive to the climate-mental health relationship must be advocated for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Lebel
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Paquin
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Tiff-Annie Kenny
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Christopher Fletcher
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Lucie Nadeau
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Children's Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Eduardo Chachamovich
- Douglas Mental Health Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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22
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Emotions of the Anthropocene across Oceania. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116757. [PMID: 35682340 PMCID: PMC9180797 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
As human activities have destabilised life on Earth, a new geological era is upon us. While there is a myriad of challenges that have emerged because of such human-driven planetary changes, one area of investigation that requires ongoing scholarly attention and scientific debate is the emotions of the Anthropocene. The emotional, mental, and psychological burdens induced by rapid and unprecedented change must be understood to better reflect the experiences of people around the globe and to initiate conversations about how emotions may be used for transformative change and effective politics. This paper aims to provide insights into the types of emotions that are emerging in Oceania as the Anthropocene unfolds. To do this, we draw on several data sets: questionnaire results with visitors of Mt Barney Lodge in the World Heritage Gondwana area in Queensland, Australia; another questionnaire with Pacific Island “experts” engaged in climate change, development, and disaster risk management work; interviews with locals living in the Cook Islands; and various spoken, written, and visual art from the Pacific. Bringing these data sets together allows us to explore a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and emotional responses to the Anthropocene from participants across Oceania. We found that acute and slow-onset weather events, experiences of direct loss and change, a perceived lack of agency or control over futures, and a sense of injustice triggered emotions including fear, stress, anxiety, exhaustion, sadness, grief, anger, frustration, helplessness, worry, but also empowerment. These results are critical for the first step of acknowledging and naming the emotions that are emerging in Oceania, such that they can then be worked through, and may be used for transformative change, effective politics, and agency over futures.
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23
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Ma T, Moore J, Cleary A. Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: A scoping review of risk and protective factors. Soc Sci Med 2022; 301:114888. [PMID: 35367905 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE The impact of climate change on the mental health of young people is poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to climate change exerts a disproportionate mental health burden on young people. An understanding of the risk factors (RFs) and protective factors (PFs) that affect the likelihood of mental health impacts arising from exposure to climate change is required to support youth wellbeing. AIMS/OBJECTIVES This review scopes the current research on what and how RFs and PFs are related to the mental health impacts of both direct and indirect exposure to climate change for young people. RFs and PFs were reviewed through the lens of ecological system theory. METHODS We conducted systematic searches in four databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus. Grey literature searches were conducted in ProQuest Dissertations, GreyLit.org, OpenGrey, and relevant organisations' websites. We included 92 empirical studies focused on the RFs and PFs of the mental wellbeing under the impact of climate change of young people (0-24). We extracted data on study characteristics, type of climate change event, mental health outcomes, RFs and PFs, and associated ecological system level. RESULTS The current evidence base focuses predominantly on young people's experience of PTSD (k = 59), depression (k = 26), or anxiety (k = 17) mainly following exposure to singular climate change-related natural disaster events. Only four studies explored the impacts of climate change in general. Majority of the studies investigated RFs and PFs at the individual level and at the micro-system level. CONCLUSIONS Several RFs and PFs were identified, such as coping strategies, family factors (e.g. parenting style), social support, community connection, and cultural identity. Positioning the mental health impacts of singular events within the broader context of ongoing and escalating climate change impacts will better inform the development of interventions that seek to build resilience among young people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Ma
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Jane Moore
- Library, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anne Cleary
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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24
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Thomas A, Bohr Y, Hankey J, Oskalns M, Barnhardt J, Singoorie C. How did Nunavummiut youth cope during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of the resilience of Inuit youth leaders involved in the I-SPARX project. Int J Circumpolar Health 2022; 81:2043577. [PMID: 35331088 PMCID: PMC8959525 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2022.2043577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated how COVID-19 has affected the wellness of a group of Inuit youth leaders in Nunavut in the context of their involvement with an ongoing mental health research initiative, the Making I-SPARX Fly in Nunavut [I-SPARX] project. The study had three goals: (1) to understand how the pandemic has affected I-SPARX leaders’ perceived involvement in the I-SPARX Project; (2) to build knowledge around how the pandemic has impacted the daily life and wellbeing of youth in Nunavummiut communities; and (3) to acquire a culturally specific understanding of their coping mechanisms and resilience strategies through the lens of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Nine Inuit youth were interviewed virtually about their participation in I-SPARX, their life during the pandemic, and their coping strategies. Their comments were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Pandemic challenges, the utility of I-SPARX teachings and participation, and culturally and community-embedded pathways to resilience were discussed. The implications of COVID-19 on Inuit youth in remote communities are not fully understood. The current study illuminates their experiences of the pandemic to inform future research on ways in which Inuit youth might be supported in situations, such as a global pandemic, that restrict their traditional resilience-enhancing activities and create social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina Thomas
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yvonne Bohr
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Hankey
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megis Oskalns
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenna Barnhardt
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Stone K, Blinn N, Spencer R. Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change on Women: a Scoping Review. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:228-243. [PMID: 35267174 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00346-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is the largest threat to human health of the twenty-first century. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. While the physical health impacts of climate change are an active area of research, works related to the mental health impacts are less developed. Furthermore, the mental health impacts of climate change on women are a particular area of interest due to women's disproportionately negative experiences with climate change and climate change-related events. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review is to understand what is known from the existing literature regarding the mental health impacts of climate change on women. The methods for this review follow the Arksey and O'Malley framework for a scoping review. By searching databases for publications that discuss women, mental health, and climate change, and screening for relevant work, 20 studies that met inclusion criteria were included in the review. Themes derived from the reviewed studies include negative mental health outcomes, gender-based violence, burdens of care and responsibility, attachment to land and traditions, and the importance of intersectionality. From these findings, there is a clear need for climate policies on adaptation and mitigation to reflect women's unique needs to ensure their health and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Stone
- School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Nicole Blinn
- School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Rebecca Spencer
- School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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26
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Aylward B, Cunsolo A, Vriezen R, Harper SL. Climate change is impacting mental health in North America: A systematic scoping review of the hazards, exposures, vulnerabilities, risks and responses. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:34-50. [PMID: 35584021 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2029368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
As climate change progresses, it is crucial that researchers and policymakers understand the ways in which climate-mental health risks arise through interactions between climate hazards, human exposure and social vulnerabilities across time and location. This scoping review systematically examined the nature, range and extent of published research in North America that investigates climate-mental health interactions. Five electronic databases were searched and two independent reviewers applied pre-determined criteria to assess the eligibility of articles identified in the search. Eighty-nine articles were determined to be relevant and underwent data extraction and analysis. The published literature reported on numerous exposure pathways through which acute and chronic climate hazards interacted with social vulnerabilities to increase mental health risks, including wellbeing, trauma, anxiety, depression, suicide and substance use. This review also highlights important gaps within the North American climate-mental health evidence base, including minimal research conducted in Mexico, as well as a lack of studies investigating climate-mental health adaptation strategies and projected future mental health risks. Further research should support effective preparation for and adaptation to the current and future mental health impacts of climate change. Such strategies could reduce health risks and the long-term mental health impacts that individuals and communities experience in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne Aylward
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Ashlee Cunsolo
- School of Arctic & Subarctic Studies, Labrador Campus of Memorial University, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Canada
| | - Rachael Vriezen
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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27
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Hammell KW. Occupation in Natural Environments; Health Equity and Environmental Justice : L'occupation dans les environnements naturels ; équité en matière de santé et justice environnementale. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 2021; 88:319-328. [PMID: 34486421 DOI: 10.1177/00084174211040000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background. Occupations undertaken in natural environments can positively impact physical and mental health, improve cognitive functioning, contribute spiritual and cultural benefits, and increase belonging, self-worth, and the meaningfulness of occupations. However, occupational opportunities in healthy natural spaces are inequitably distributed; and the deleterious effects of climate change and environmental degradation are borne disproportionately by socioeconomically disadvantaged people. Purposes. To highlight evidence that occupational engagement in nature is a determinant of health, foreground environmental injustices and identify some implications for occupational therapy. Key issues. Cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural research and critical environmental justice scholarship indicate that healthy nature is an inequitably distributed determinant of occupation, wellbeing, and human health. This merits critical attention from occupational therapy. Implications. By researching, identifying, and addressing occupational and health inequities arising from environmental degradation, climate change and inequitable access to health-promoting natural environments occupational therapists could contribute valuable, occupational perspectives to initiatives addressing human rights and environmental justice.
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Co-Designing Health Service Evaluation Tools That Foreground First Nation Worldviews for Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168555. [PMID: 34444319 PMCID: PMC8394671 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is critical that health service evaluation frameworks include Aboriginal people and their cultural worldviews from design to implementation. During a large participatory action research study, Elders, service leaders and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers co-designed evaluation tools to test the efficacy of a previously co-designed engagement framework. Through a series of co-design workshops, tools were built using innovative collaborative processes that foregrounded Aboriginal worldviews. The workshops resulted in the development of a three-way survey that records the service experiences related to cultural safety from the perspective of Aboriginal clients, their carer/s, and the service staff with whom they work. The surveys centralise the role of relationships in client-service interactions, which strongly reflect their design from an Aboriginal worldview. This paper provides new insights into the reciprocal benefits of engaging community Elders and service leaders to work together to develop new and more meaningful ways of servicing Aboriginal families. Foregrounding relationships in service evaluations reinstates the value of human connection and people-centred engagement in service delivery which are central to rebuilding historically fractured relationships between mainstream services and Aboriginal communities. This benefits not only Aboriginal communities, but also other marginalised populations expanding the remit of mainstream services to be accessed by many.
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Murphy K, Branje K, White T, Cunsolo A, Latimer M, McMillan J, Sylliboy JR, McKibbon S, Martin D. Are we walking the talk of participatory Indigenous health research? A scoping review of the literature in Atlantic Canada. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255265. [PMID: 34314455 PMCID: PMC8315539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Participatory research involving community engagement is considered the gold standard in Indigenous health research. However, it is sometimes unclear whether and how Indigenous communities are engaged in research that impacts them, and whether and how engagement is reported. Indigenous health research varies in its degree of community engagement from minimal involvement to being community-directed and led. Research led and directed by Indigenous communities can support reconciliation and reclamation in Canada and globally, however clearer reporting and understandings of community-led research is needed. This scoping review assesses (a) how and to what extent researchers are reporting community engagement in Indigenous health research in Atlantic Canada, and (b) what recommendations exist in the literature regarding participatory and community-led research. METHODS Eleven databases were searched using keywords for Indigeneity, geographic regions, health, and Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada between 2001-June 2020. Records were independently screened by two reviewers and were included if they were: peer-reviewed; written in English; health-related; and focused on Atlantic Canada. Data were extracted using a piloted data charting form, and a descriptive and thematic analysis was performed. 211 articles were retained for inclusion. RESULTS Few empirical articles reported community engagement in all aspects of the research process. Most described incorporating community engagement at the project's onset and/or during data collection; only a few articles explicitly identified as entirely community-directed or led. Results revealed a gap in reported capacity-building for both Indigenous communities and researchers, necessary for holistic community engagement. Also revealed was the need for funding bodies, ethics boards, and peer review processes to better facilitate participatory and community-led Indigenous health research. CONCLUSION As Indigenous communities continue reclaiming sovereignty over identities and territories, participatory research must involve substantive, agreed-upon involvement of Indigenous communities, with community-directed and led research as the ultimate goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Murphy
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Karina Branje
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tara White
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ashlee Cunsolo
- School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies, Labrador Institute of Memorial University, Memorial University, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
| | - Margot Latimer
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jane McMillan
- Department of Anthropology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - John R. Sylliboy
- Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shelley McKibbon
- Kellogg Health Sciences Library, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Debbie Martin
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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The Impact of Land-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Self-Reported Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Adults: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18137099. [PMID: 34281031 PMCID: PMC8296996 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
For many Indigenous communities, decreased participation in traditional land-based activities has led to higher rates of chronic disease and a decrease in well-being. This systematic review explores how traditional land-based activities impact self-reported health and well-being of Indigenous adults, using Indigenous and Western perspectives. A search of three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) identified nine studies which explored the experiences and perspectives of Indigenous adults taking part in land-based subsistence and ceremonial activities. A thematic analysis of these studies identified many interconnected physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, and community benefits. Community engagement throughout all stages of the interventions was an important factor in effectively addressing challenges and barriers stemming from colonization, decreased knowledge transfer, and increased use of technology. Participants reported developing more effective stress management techniques, a greater awareness of modifiable risk factors along with increased engagement with Elders. Ultimately, land-based subsistence and ceremonial activities were identified as playing an influential role in the lives of Indigenous adults. The involvement of community members allowed for the development of more culturally relevant interventions. Future community-specific research is needed to increase engagement in traditional physical-activities, improve well-being and overall reduce the risk of chronic disease.
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Middleton J, Cunsolo A, Pollock N, Jones-Bitton A, Wood M, Shiwak I, Flowers C, Harper SL. Temperature and place associations with Inuit mental health in the context of climate change. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 198:111166. [PMID: 33857460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change has important implications for mental health globally. Yet, few studies have quantified the magnitude and direction of associations between weather and mental health-related factors, or assessed the geographical distribution of associations, particularly in areas experiencing rapid climatic change. This study examined the associations between air temperature variables and mental health-related community clinic visits across Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada, and the place-specific attributes of these associations. METHODS Daily de-identified community clinic visit data were collected from the provincial electronic health recording system and linked to historical weather data (2012-2018). A multilevel, multivariable negative binomial regression model was fit to investigate associations between temperature variables and mental health-related community clinic visits across the region, adjusting for seasonality as a fixed effect and community as a random effect. A multivariable negative binomial model was then fit for each Nunatsiavut community, adjusting for seasonality. RESULTS Mental health-related visits contributed to 2.4% of all 228,104 visit types across the study period; this proportion ranged from 0.6% to 11.3% based on community and year. Regionally, the incidence rate of mental health-related community clinic visits was greater after two weeks of warm average (i.e. above -5ᵒC) temperatures compared to temperatures below -5ᵒC (IRR-5≤5ᵒC = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.21-1.78; IRR6≤15ᵒC = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.66-3.03; IRR>15ᵒC = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.02-2.94), and the incidence rate of mental health-related clinic visits was lower when the number of consecutive days within -5 to 5ᵒC ranges (i.e. temperatures considered to be critical to land use) increased (IRR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.94-0.99), adjusting for seasonal and community effects. Community-specific models, however, revealed that no two communities had the same association between meteorological conditions and the incidence rate of daily mental health-related visits. DISCUSSION Regionally, longer periods of warm temperatures may burden existing healthcare resources and shorter periods of temperatures critical to land use (i.e. -5 to 5ᵒC) may present enjoyable or opportunistic conditions to access community and land-based resources. The heterogeneity found in temperature and mental health-related clinic visits associations across Nunatsiavut communities demonstrates that place quantitatively matters in the context of Inuit mental health and climate change. This evidence underscores the importance of place-based approaches to health policy, planning, adaptation, and research related to climate change, particularly in circumpolar regions such as Nunatsiavut where the rate of warming is one of the fastest on the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Middleton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada.
| | - Ashlee Cunsolo
- School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, Labrador Institute of Memorial University, 219 Hamilton River Road, P.O. Box 490, Stn. B, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada.
| | - Nathaniel Pollock
- School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, Labrador Institute of Memorial University, 219 Hamilton River Road, P.O. Box 490, Stn. B, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Andria Jones-Bitton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Michele Wood
- Department of Health and Social Development, Nunatsiavut Government, 218 Kelland Drive, P.O. Box 496, Station C, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Inez Shiwak
- Torngat Wildlife, Plants, and Fisheries Secretariat, 217 Hamilton River Road, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0P 1C0, Canada
| | - Charlie Flowers
- Torngat Wildlife, Plants, and Fisheries Secretariat, 217 Hamilton River Road, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0P 1C0, Canada
| | - Sherilee L Harper
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada.
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Gall A, Anderson K, Howard K, Diaz A, King A, Willing E, Connolly M, Lindsay D, Garvey G. Wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18115832. [PMID: 34071636 PMCID: PMC8198891 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite the health improvements afforded to non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States, the Indigenous peoples in these countries continue to endure disproportionately high rates of mortality and morbidity. Indigenous peoples' concepts and understanding of health and wellbeing are holistic; however, due to their diverse social, political, cultural, environmental and economic contexts within and across countries, wellbeing is not experienced uniformly across all Indigenous populations. We aim to identify aspects of wellbeing important to the Indigenous people in Canada, Aotearoa and the United States. We searched CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and PubMed databases for papers that included key Indigenous and wellbeing search terms from database inception to April 2020. Papers that included a focus on Indigenous adults residing in Canada, Aotearoa and the United States, and that included empirical qualitative data that described at least one aspect of wellbeing were eligible. Data were analysed using the stages of thematic development recommended by Thomas and Harden for thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Our search resulted in 2669 papers being screened for eligibility. Following full-text screening, 100 papers were deemed eligible for inclusion (Aotearoa (New Zealand) n = 16, Canada n = 43, United States n = 41). Themes varied across countries; however, identity, connection, balance and self-determination were common aspects of wellbeing. Having this broader understanding of wellbeing across these cultures can inform decisions made about public health actions and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana Gall
- Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Disease Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia; (K.A.); (A.D.); (D.L.); (G.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kate Anderson
- Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Disease Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia; (K.A.); (A.D.); (D.L.); (G.G.)
| | - Kirsten Howard
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Abbey Diaz
- Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Disease Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia; (K.A.); (A.D.); (D.L.); (G.G.)
| | - Alexandra King
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada;
| | - Esther Willing
- Kōhatu–Centre for Hauora Māori, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand;
| | - Michele Connolly
- International Group for Indigenous Health Measurement, Columbia, MD 21045, USA;
| | - Daniel Lindsay
- Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Disease Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia; (K.A.); (A.D.); (D.L.); (G.G.)
| | - Gail Garvey
- Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Disease Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia; (K.A.); (A.D.); (D.L.); (G.G.)
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Charlson F, Ali S, Benmarhnia T, Pearl M, Massazza A, Augustinavicius J, Scott JG. Climate Change and Mental Health: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:4486. [PMID: 33922573 PMCID: PMC8122895 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is negatively impacting the mental health of populations. This scoping review aims to assess the available literature related to climate change and mental health across the World Health Organisation's (WHO) five global research priorities for protecting human health from climate change. We conducted a scoping review to identify original research studies related to mental health and climate change using online academic databases. We assessed the quality of studies where appropriate assessment tools were available. We identified 120 original studies published between 2001 and 2020. Most studies were quantitative (n = 67), cross-sectional (n = 42), conducted in high-income countries (n = 87), and concerned with the first of the WHO global research priorities-assessing the mental health risks associated with climate change (n = 101). Several climate-related exposures, including heat, humidity, rainfall, drought, wildfires, and floods were associated with psychological distress, worsened mental health, and higher mortality among people with pre-existing mental health conditions, increased psychiatric hospitalisations, and heightened suicide rates. Few studies (n = 19) addressed the other four global research priorities of protecting health from climate change (effective interventions (n = 8); mitigation and adaptation (n = 7); improving decision-support (n = 3); and cost estimations (n = 1)). While climate change and mental health represents a rapidly growing area of research, it needs to accelerate and broaden in scope to respond with evidence-based mitigation and adaptation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Charlson
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia; (S.A.); (M.P.); (J.G.S.)
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Suhailah Ali
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia; (S.A.); (M.P.); (J.G.S.)
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science & Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC, San Diego, CA 92093, USA;
| | - Madeleine Pearl
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia; (S.A.); (M.P.); (J.G.S.)
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Alessandro Massazza
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Jura Augustinavicius
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - James G. Scott
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia; (S.A.); (M.P.); (J.G.S.)
- Mental Health Programme, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4076, Australia
- Metro North Mental Health Service, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
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Helldén D, Andersson C, Nilsson M, Ebi KL, Friberg P, Alfvén T. Climate change and child health: a scoping review and an expanded conceptual framework. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e164-e175. [PMID: 33713617 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(20)30274-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change can have detrimental effects on child health and wellbeing. Despite the imperative for a fuller understanding of how climate change affects child health and wellbeing, a systematic approach and focus solely on children (aged <18 years) has been lacking. In this Scoping Review, we did a literature search on the impacts of climate change on child health from January, 2000, to June, 2019. The included studies explicitly linked an alteration of an exposure to a risk factor for child health to climate change or climate variability. In total, 2970 original articles, reviews, and other documents were identified, of which 371 were analysed. Employing an expanded framework, our analysis showed that the effects of climate change on child health act through direct and indirect pathways, with implications for determinants of child health as well as morbidity and mortality from a range of diseases. This understanding can be further enhanced by using a broader range of research methods, studying overlooked populations and geographical regions, investigating the costs and benefits of mitigation and adaptation for child health, and considering the position of climate change and child health within the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Present and future generations of children bear and will continue to bear an unacceptably high disease burden from climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Helldén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Camilla Andersson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter Friberg
- Swedish Institute for Global Health Transformation, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tobias Alfvén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract
Anxiety and distress about the ecological crisis seems to be a rapidly growing phenomenon. This article analyzes the challenges and possibilities posed by such “eco-anxiety” for environmental education. Variations of eco-anxiety are analyzed, and it is argued that educators should be aware of the multiple forms that the phenomenon has. Eco-anxiety is found to be closely connected with many difficult emotions, such as grief, guilt, anger, and despair. However, anxiety also has an adaptive dimension, which can be called “practical anxiety”. Anxiety is connected with expectation, motivation, and hopes. Previous research about eco-anxiety and ecological emotions in various disciplines is discussed, and related studies from various fields of education are brought together. Based on this extensive literature review, theoretical analyses are made, using a philosophical method. It is argued that environmental educators need organizational and peer support both in relation to their own difficult emotions and in order to develop emotional skills in their work. Educators should first practice self-reflection about eco-anxiety, after which they have many possibilities to help their audiences to develop emotional resilience. Potential practical activities related to eco-anxiety are discussed, drawing from various fields of education. These include validation of eco-anxiety and ecological emotions, providing safe spaces to discuss them, and, if possible, providing embodied and creative activities to more fully deliberate on them.
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Kafeety A, Henderson SB, Lubik A, Kancir J, Kosatsky T, Schwandt M. Social connection as a public health adaptation to extreme heat events. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2020; 111:876-879. [PMID: 32180181 PMCID: PMC7728955 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-020-00309-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is an increasingly important public health issue, reflected in morbidity and mortality outcomes during extreme heat events. At the same time, the harms of social isolation with respect to a wide range of health outcomes are becoming better understood. Given that older adults are at higher risk during hot weather and at higher risk of social isolation, they are among those at highest risk for adverse impacts of extreme heat events. While specific strategies to reduce heat exposure have been described in the literature and promoted in public health practice, these may not be readily available to socially isolated older adults. As such, it is crucial to identify key approaches to address risk due to social isolation in the aging population, and to acknowledge their limitations and barriers. Interventions rooted in social connection, a concept widely applied in interventions for public health and social well-being, should be applied as a tool for adaptation to extreme heat events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Kafeety
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Sarah B Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Amy Lubik
- Population and Public Health, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC, Canada
| | - Jesse Kancir
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tom Kosatsky
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael Schwandt
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Hrabok M, Delorme A, Agyapong VIO. Threats to Mental Health and Well-Being Associated with Climate Change. J Anxiety Disord 2020; 76:102295. [PMID: 32896782 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is a contributor to extreme weather events and natural disasters. The mental health effects of climate change are multifaceted, with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression predominant. This paper aims to describe the impact of climate change on mental health conditions, including risk and protective factors related to the expression of mental health conditions post-disaster, as well as a discussion of our local experience with a devastating wildfire to our region within Canada. The risk of the development of mental health conditions post-disaster is not equally distributed; research has consistently demonstrated that specific risk factors (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status and education, pre-existing mental health symptomatology), are associated with increased vulnerability to mental health conditions following natural disasters. There are multiple strategies that must be undertaken by communities to enhance adjustment and coping post-disaster, including improved access to care, inter-agency cooperation, enhanced community resiliency, and adequate preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Hrabok
- Dission of Community Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Aaron Delorme
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vincent I O Agyapong
- Dission of Community Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Health and Wellness Impacts of Traditional Physical Activity Experiences on Indigenous Youth: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17218275. [PMID: 33182405 PMCID: PMC7664942 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Traditional physical activities have numerous physiological and psychosocial benefits for Indigenous youth around the world. Little is known about the positive health and wellness impacts of traditional physical activity experiences on Indigenous youths. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the holistic health and wellness impacts of traditional physical activities on Indigenous youth from certain North American and Oceania geographic areas. A systematic search of four electronic databases (PubMed, ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed publications of qualitative research exploring the diverse health experiences of traditional physical activities for Indigenous youth in Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand and Australia. A qualitative synthesis of studies between 2006 and 2018 were included, and findings were synthesized using an integrated Indigenous-ecological model, which broadly captures health and wellness impacts under intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community and policy level outcomes using medicine wheel teachings. In total, nine studies were identified via this search. Overall, the literature described numerous emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of traditional physical activity, and youth experiences were affected by familial and communal relationships, and systemic factors. Among Indigenous youth, this research shows the importance of including traditional physical activity in future programs and partnerships with community expertise.
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Middleton J, Cunsolo A, Jones-Bitton A, Shiwak I, Wood M, Pollock N, Flowers C, Harper SL. “We're people of the snow:” Weather, climate change, and Inuit mental wellness. Soc Sci Med 2020; 262:113137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Youth Engagement in Climate Change Action: Case Study on Indigenous Youth at COP24. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12166299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While there are many studies about the environmental impacts of climate change in the Canadian north, the role of Indigenous youth in climate governance has been a lesser focus of inquiry. A popularized assumption in some literature is that youth have little to contribute to discussions on climate change and other aspects of land and resource management; such downplay of youth expertise and engagement may be contributing to climate anxiety (e.g., feelings of hopelessness), particularly in remote communities. Creating opportunities for youth to have a voice in global forums such as the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP24) on Climate Change may offset such anxiety. Building on previous research related to climate action, and the well-being of Indigenous youth, this paper shares the outcomes of research with Indigenous youth (along with family and teachers) from the Mackenzie River Basin who attended COP24 to determine the value of their experience. Key questions guiding these interviews included: How did youth impact others? and How did youth benefit from the experience? Key insights related to the value of a global experience; multiple youth presentations at COP24 were heard by hundreds of people who sought to learn more from youth about their experience of climate change. Additional insights were gathered about the importance of family and community (i.e., webs of support); social networks were seen as key to the success of youth who participated in the event and contributed to youth learning and leadership development.
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Chawla L. Childhood nature connection and constructive hope: A review of research on connecting with nature and coping with environmental loss. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Louise Chawla
- Program in Environmental Design University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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Hayward A, Cidro J, Dutton R, Passey K. A review of health and wellness studies involving Inuit of Manitoba and Nunavut. Int J Circumpolar Health 2020; 79:1779524. [PMID: 32543995 PMCID: PMC7480607 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2020.1779524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to summarise past Inuit health and wellness studies in Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut to provide a snapshot of the types of studies available and identify the gaps in knowledge. Research to date has largely been disease-based and often provides comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Distinct Inuit experiences are rarely written about from an Inuit perspective. However, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organisation of Inuit in Canada, and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada have been leaders in strengths-based community research and publications that address priorities determined by the Inuit, including the 2018 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami document National Inuit Strategy on Research (132).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Hayward
- Student Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jaime Cidro
- Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Canada Research Chair, Health and Culture, Winnipeg, Canada
| | | | - Kara Passey
- Development Practice: Indigenous Development (MDP) Student, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study aims at measuring the association between household food insecurity and psychological distress in adolescents in Inuit communities, concurrently and overtime from childhood to adolescence. DESIGN The study used measures of internalising behaviours (anxiety, withdrawn attitude, somatic complaints and depression) as indicators of psychological distress during adolescence, a concurrent measure of household food insecurity in adolescence and an assessment of longitudinal patterns of household food insecurity from childhood to adolescence. We collected descriptive information at birth, childhood and adolescence on potential confounders. SETTING Inuit communities of Nunavik in northern Quebec, Canada. PARTICIPANTS The study consisted of 212 participants from the Nunavik Child Development Study, who have been assessed at birth, childhood (mean age = 11 years, range = 9-13 years) and adolescence (mean age = 18 years, range = 16-21 years). RESULTS Concurrent severe household food insecurity in adolescence was associated with higher measures of psychological distress: depression (βstd = 0·26, P < 0·01) and withdrawn attitude (βstd = 0·20, P = 0·04). Persistent household food insecurity (both at childhood and adolescence) was associated with higher levels of adolescent depression (βstd = 0·18, P = 0·02) and anxiety (βstd = 0·17, P = 0·03). CONCLUSIONS Adolescents from Nunavik living with higher food insecurity and those having experienced food insecurity in both childhood and adolescence were more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress. Considering the high level of distress experienced by young Inuit, existing initiatives to reduce food insecurity in Nunavik communities should be targeted to include children and adolescents.
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Cianconi P, Betrò S, Janiri L. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:74. [PMID: 32210846 PMCID: PMC7068211 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 64.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time. The consequences of climate change on exposed biological subjects, as well as on vulnerable societies, are a concern for the entire scientific community. Rising temperatures, heat waves, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, fires, loss of forest, and glaciers, along with disappearance of rivers and desertification, can directly and indirectly cause human pathologies that are physical and mental. However, there is a clear lack in psychiatric studies on mental disorders linked to climate change. METHODS Literature available on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library until end of June 2019 were reviewed. The total number of articles and association reports was 445. From these, 163 were selected. We looked for the association between classical psychiatric disorders such as anxiety schizophrenia, mood disorder and depression, suicide, aggressive behaviors, despair for the loss of usual landscape, and phenomena related to climate change and extreme weather. Review of literature was then divided into specific areas: the course of change in mental health, temperature, water, air pollution, drought, as well as the exposure of certain groups and critical psychological adaptations. RESULTS Climate change has an impact on a large part of the population, in different geographical areas and with different types of threats to public health. However, the delay in studies on climate change and mental health consequences is an important aspect. Lack of literature is perhaps due to the complexity and novelty of this issue. It has been shown that climate change acts on mental health with different timing. The phenomenology of the effects of climate change differs greatly-some mental disorders are common and others more specific in relation to atypical climatic conditions. Moreover, climate change also affects different population groups who are directly exposed and more vulnerable in their geographical conditions, as well as a lack of access to resources, information, and protection. Perhaps it is also worth underlining that in some papers the connection between climatic events and mental disorders was described through the introduction of new terms, coined only recently: ecoanxiety, ecoguilt, ecopsychology, ecological grief, solastalgia, biospheric concern, etc. CONCLUSIONS The effects of climate change can be direct or indirect, short-term or long-term. Acute events can act through mechanisms similar to that of traumatic stress, leading to well-understood psychopathological patterns. In addition, the consequences of exposure to extreme or prolonged weather-related events can also be delayed, encompassing disorders such as posttraumatic stress, or even transmitted to later generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cianconi
- Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Janiri
- Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Jongen CS, McCalman J, Bainbridge RG. A Systematic Scoping Review of the Resilience Intervention Literature for Indigenous Adolescents in CANZUS Nations. Front Public Health 2020; 7:351. [PMID: 31998674 PMCID: PMC6967740 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The concept of resilience offers a strengths-based framework for interventions to enhance Indigenous adolescent social and emotional well-being. Resilience interventions in or with schools encompass individual, social, and environmental factors that encourage health-promoting behaviors and assist adolescents in navigating toward resources that can sustain their health and well-being in times of adversity. This scoping review examined the literature on resilience-enhancing interventions for Indigenous adolescent students in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (CANZUS nations). Intervention strategies, adherence to theoretical constructs, and outcomes were analyzed. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of intervention studies aimed at improving Indigenous adolescent resilience and published in CANZUS nations between January 1990 and May 2016. Eleven peer-reviewed databases and 11 websites and clearing houses were searched for relevant studies. Following double-blinded screening, a total of 16 intervention papers were included for analysis. Study characteristics were identified and study quality was assessed using appropriate assessment tools. Results: Twelve interventions (75%) were delivered in school settings and four (25%) were community-based, conducted in partnership with schools. Seven publications (44%) reported interventions focused exclusively on fostering individual resilience. Another seven (44%) included components that aimed to build staff, school, and/or community capacity to support adolescent resilience, and two (12.5%) had community/school capacity-building as the primary focus. Culturally based approaches to enhancing resilience were evident in most studies (81%). The publications documented the use of a range of program models, processes, and activities aligned with resilience theory. Positive outcomes were reported for improved individual assets (e.g., strengthened self-esteem and Indigenous identity), environmental resources (e.g., increased peer support and social/community connection), and increased community capacity (e.g., increased youth training and leadership opportunities). On average, study quality was assessed as moderate to high. The strongest evidence of intervention effectiveness was for improvements in mental health symptoms and outcomes. Conclusion: Interventions indicated strong alignment with ecological and culturally based resilience theories and models. While the results of the studies indicate some positive impacts on the resilience of Indigenous adolescents, future evaluations should aim to ensure high study quality and focus on measuring strengths-based resilience outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Sky Jongen
- Centre for Indigenous Health Equity Research, School of Health, Medicine and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, Australia
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Gibson K, Haslam N, Kaplan I. Distressing encounters in the context of climate change: Idioms of distress, determinants, and responses to distress in Tuvalu. Transcult Psychiatry 2019; 56:667-696. [PMID: 31067153 DOI: 10.1177/1363461519847057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Across the globe there is a critical need for culturally informed and locally valid approaches to mental health assessment and intervention, particularly among disadvantaged and marginalized populations. To be optimally effective, such approaches must be informed by a sound understanding of locally relevant idioms of distress and its determinants, including those caused or exacerbated by global power disparities and structural inequities. Climate change, arising due to anthropogenic sources located predominantly in industrialized nations, is one potential determinant of distress having disproportionate adverse impacts on already marginalized populations. The present study formed part of a broader project examining the intersections of culture, climate change, and distress in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu - a focal point of global concern over the human costs of climate change. The study explored determinants and idioms of distress and culturally prescribed responses to coping with distress. Results are based on fieldwork conducted in 2015 entailing semi-structured interviews with 16 key informants and 23 lay residents of Funafuti atoll, recruited using maximal variation purposive sampling. Findings are examined in consideration of the unfolding impacts of climate change and the threat it portends for the future, both of which were identified as salient determinants of distress, in keeping with theorized relationships between climate change and mental health. The study underscores the necessity of attending to the relationships between global forces, local cultures, and individual experiences of distress, as efforts to provide access to culturally informed social and mental health services expand globally.
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Galway LP, Beery T, Jones-Casey K, Tasala K. Mapping the Solastalgia Literature: A Scoping Review Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16152662. [PMID: 31349659 PMCID: PMC6696016 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16152662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Solastalgia is a relatively new concept for understanding the links between human and ecosystem health, specifically, the cumulative impacts of climatic and environmental change on mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Given the speed and scale of climate change alongside biodiversity loss, pollution, deforestation, unbridled resource extraction, and other environmental challenges, more and more people will experience solastalgia. This study reviewed 15 years of scholarly literature on solastalgia using a scoping review process. Our goal was to advance conceptual clarity, synthesize the literature, and identify priorities for future research. Four specific questions guided the review process: (1) How is solastalgia conceptualized and applied in the literature?; (2) How is solastalgia experienced and measured in the literature?; (3) How is ‘place’ understood in the solastalgia literature?; and (4) Does the current body of literature on solastalgia engage with Indigenous worldviews and experiences? Overall, we find there is a need for additional research employing diverse methodologies, across a greater diversity of people and places, and conducted in collaboration with affected populations and potential knowledge, alongside greater attention to the practical implications and applications of solastalgia research. We also call for continued efforts to advance conceptual clarity and theoretical foundations. Key outcomes of this study include our use of the landscape construct in relation to solastalgia and a call to better understand Indigenous peoples’ lived experiences of landscape transformation and degradation in the context of historical traumas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P Galway
- Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.
| | - Thomas Beery
- Faculty for Natural Sciences, Kristianstad University, 291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden
- Faculty for Teacher Training, Kristianstad University, 291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden
| | | | - Kirsti Tasala
- Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
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Fijal D, Beagan BL. Indigenous perspectives on health: Integration with a Canadian model of practice. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 2019; 86:220-231. [PMID: 31018654 DOI: 10.1177/0008417419832284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommend change within the Canadian health care system, respecting and valuing Indigenous health and healing practices. Adjusting the lens through which occupational therapists practice to incorporate Indigenous views of health and wellness is one potential change. PURPOSE. This critical interpretive synthesis of the literature incorporates Indigenous perspectives on health and wellness into the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E) framework, strengthening that model to better serve all peoples in Canada. KEY ISSUES. Integrating Indigenous worldviews can add to the CMOP-E the importance of balance among physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health; the inseparability of person, community, and land; and understanding occupations as dimensions of meaning. These are incorporated in a proposed integrated model (ICMOP-E). IMPLICATIONS. Effectively integrating Indigenous perspectives may be an important first step in a longer journey toward engaging more respectfully with Indigenous perspectives on health and wellness.
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Kipp A, Cunsolo A, Gillis D, Sawatzky A, Harper SL. The need for community-led, integrated and innovative monitoring programmes when responding to the health impacts of climate change. Int J Circumpolar Health 2019; 78:1517581. [PMID: 31066653 PMCID: PMC6508048 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2018.1517581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In Northern Canada, climate change has led to many acute and interrelated health and environmental impacts experienced among Inuit populations. Community-based monitoring, in which community members participate in monitoring initiatives using various forms of technology, is a key strategy increasingly used to detect, monitor and respond to climate change impacts. To better understand the landscape of existing environmental and health monitoring programmes mobilising different technologies and operating in the North we conducted a review that used environmental scan methodologies to explore and contextualise these programmes. We consulted with academic researchers with experience in community-led monitoring, conducted systematic searches of grey and peer-reviewed literature, and conducted a secondary search for environment-health mobile-phone applications. Following specific criteria, we identified 18 monitoring programmes using information and communication technologies in the North, and three global monitoring mobile-phone applications, which cumulatively monitored 74 environment and health indicators. Several themes emerged, including the need for: (1) community leadership, (2) indicators of environment and/or human health and (3) innovative technology. This synthesis supports the development of community-led, environment-health monitoring programmes that use innovative technology to monitor and share information related to the health implications of climate change in and around Indigenous communities throughout the Circumpolar North.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Kipp
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Ashlee Cunsolo
- Labrador Institute, Memorial University, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, Canada
| | - Daniel Gillis
- School of Computer Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Sawatzky
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Sherilee L. Harper
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Langås-Larsen A, Salamonsen A, Kristoffersen AE, Hamran T, Evjen B, Stub T. "We own the illness": a qualitative study of networks in two communities with mixed ethnicity in Northern Norway. Int J Circumpolar Health 2018; 77:1438572. [PMID: 29466927 PMCID: PMC5827718 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2018.1438572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND When people in Northern Norway get ill, they often use traditional medicine. The global aim of this study was to examine the extended family networks' function and responsibility in cases of illness in the family, in two Northern Norwegian communities with a population of mixed ethnicity. METHODS Semi-structured individual interviews with 13 participants and 4 focus group interviews with total 11 participants were conducted. The text data was transcribed verbatim and analysed based on the criteria for content analysis. RESULTS The participants grew up in areas where it was common to seek help from traditional healers. They were organized in networks and shared responsibility for the patient and they provided practical help and support for the family. According to the networks, health-care personnel should make room for the entire network to visit the patient in severe and life-threatening situations. CONCLUSION Traditional networks are an extra resource for people in these communities. The networks seem to be essential in handling and disseminating hope and manageability on an individual as well as a collective level. Health personnel working in communities with mixed ethnicity should have thorough knowledge of the mixed culture, including the importance of traditional network to the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Langås-Larsen
- The National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), Department of Community Medicine, The Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anita Salamonsen
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU North), The Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen
- The National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), Department of Community Medicine, The Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torunn Hamran
- Department of Health and Care Sciences. Centre for Care Research, The Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bjørg Evjen
- Centre for Sami Studies, The Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Trine Stub
- The National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), Department of Community Medicine, The Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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