This article was written by Meshall Awan and Maham Kaleem, and was published in the Toronto Star on October 8, 2023.

MESHALL AWAN AND MAHAM KALEEM ARE THE COMMUNICATIONS AND WELL-BEING ENGAGEMENT SPECIALISTS FOR THE DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION.

As communities around the world grapple with increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters — from raging wildfires to catastrophic hurricanes — an aspect of this crisis that often goes unmentioned is the toll on our mental well-being.

Tuesday is World Mental Health Day. We can’t overlook the anxiety, grief and trauma caused by this environmental degradation.

As wildfires and hurricanes overwhelm communities, , people are feeling fear, loss and despair. Reports show that more people, particularly among younger generations, are struggling with eco-anxiety and climate grief. This isn’t surprising, considering they will be facing the long-term consequences of the climate crisis.

The impacts go beyond natural disasters and individual stress. Climate change has made life even harder for people who are already struggling. Unstable living conditions have exacerbated chronic stress and increased risks of depression, anxiety and physical health issues. Losing one’s home to a wildfire or flood can cause lasting trauma.

Our current economic system, which puts profit before people, is making this mental health crisis worse. Prioritizing profits has led to the environmental destruction driving climate change. It also deepens inequities through privatization of essentials like housing and health care, cutting off support for those struggling most in this crisis, whether from pollution, displacement or unaffordable treatment.

To truly address these issues and protect mental well-being requires big structural changes, not just individual coping strategies. Affordable, climate-resilient public housing must be recognized as a health-care priority. Getting ahead of the climate disaster is itself an intervention when it comes to the mental-health crisis.

Current climate policies emphasize infrastructure upgrades, but psychological impacts demand equal consideration. Resilience planning must involve health experts to develop trauma-informed disaster responses and accessibility to mental-health services. Plans to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy should include mental-health literacy to empower communities with knowledge and agency.

Most vulnerable populations, especially those facing disproportionate environmental hazards and lack of resources, require focused support. Investing in affordable housing that can withstand increasing climate shocks represents a public health and moral priority. Meeting basic needs stabilizes lives and well-being for all.

Honouring World Mental Health Day demands acknowledging the immense impacts of the climate emergency on our collective mental well-being. Laying the groundwork for a livable future depends not just on infrastructure upgrades, but also on recognizing how interconnected environmental health and mental health are. A well-being economy can help us embrace holistic, communitydriven, equitable policy approaches that tie climate resilience to universal health care and social supports. We can emerge from this ongoing global crisis better prepared to face challenges with resilience in our infrastructure and in our hearts and minds.

To honour World Mental Health Day’s aim of raising awareness of mental-health issues and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health, we must prioritize solutions that include building communities with sustainability and well-being in mind.