The polycrises of the 21st century—climate change, conflict, and displacement—are not just geopolitical events; they are catalysts for a pervasive global mental health crisis. The psychological toll of these adversities is profound, leading to high rates of trauma-related disorders and influencing the mental health of everyone impacted directly and vicariously.
This presentation synthesizes impactful international research with our own empirical work from Nepal, a nation scarred by conflict, natural disaster, and climate change.
Climate change creates a mental health toll not only by directly precipitating natural disasters but also by creating eco-anxiety among people worldwide due to apprehension of its future impact. Our study shows a staggering mental health burden of various traumas among the impacted healthcare seekers, with 83% lifetime PTSD and 42% Complex PTSD, along with high rates of depression and anxiety.
However, among these ruins, studies and our own data reveal a critical beacon: psychological resilience. We found resilience to be a powerful, independent predictor of lower psychopathology and a stronger determinant of quality of life, even after adjusting for factors such as trauma type. This aligns with a paradigm shift in global mental health, moving beyond a deficit model to a strength-based, positive mental health approach.
We recommend that in this world marked by uncertainties, our approach should be multifocused, rather than just addressing trauma-related disorders; working on climate change and building environments that foster resilience should go hand in hand. Strengthening resilience requires more than individual coping. This calls for investments in community-based interventions, culturally sensitive mental health care, and global solidarity, requiring a transformative leap from trauma-informed care to resilience-informed recovery, integrating clinical interventions with community-driven and policy-level actions.