The stress of climate change is taking a toll on mental health across the world – and not just among those who have survived disasters.
Even as extreme weather hits more frequently, the signals people have always relied on to track the seasons seem to be spinning out of control. And scientists and public health researchers are seeing growing evidence of the cost to mental health.
In a review of 57 studies published in the journal Nature Mental Health, researchers linked slow-moving environmental changes, such as drought and changes to the seasons, with depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Study participants described recurring feelings of worry, grief, and frustration, often tied to concerns about their families, communities, and the future.
“Slow, ongoing environmental changes are related to negative emotions, as well as depression and anxiety symptoms, generalized psychological distress, and suicidality,” said Sarah Lowe, an associate professor of public health at the Yale School of Public Health and a co-author of the study.
Gradual environmental shifts don’t make headlines the way that major disasters do, but they still affect people like 70-year-old Saibi Takavade from Shirdhon village in western India. For most of her life, Takavade could tell the time of year by observing the weather. But in recent years, she’s felt stressed as summers grow longer and harsher, rains come late or all at once, and seasons no longer follow a familiar routine.
“I feel drained the entire day and find it difficult to sleep at night,” Takavade said.
Researchers say experiences like Takavade’s reflect a broader pattern. Climate stress doesn’t always arrive as a single traumatic event but can build gradually over time.
The role of chronic stress
When people seek help in moments of emotional distress, researchers have found that climate change is already part of what they are struggling to make sense of.
In the United States, some people link their anxiety and distress to climate change, according to a 2025 analysis of crisis text conversations published in the Journal of Climate Change and Health. The text messages reflected a range of emotional responses, from worry to severe anxiety or even despair about the future, a sense of helplessness, and questions about the kind of world that lies ahead for them and future generations.
Physical and mental effects compound one another, the authors of the 2025 study found.
“Direct exposures, such as extreme heat, storms, or air pollution, can affect the body’s stress response systems and disrupt sleep and physiological regulation,” explained Jennifer Runkle, an environmental epidemiologist at the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at North Carolina State University and the study’s lead author.
Repeated exposure to climate-related stressors can activate chronic stress responses in the body.
“Over time, prolonged stress can influence hormones, inflammation, and neurological pathways associated with anxiety and depression,” she added.
Even people not directly affected by disasters can find it hard to deal with changing environmental patterns such as seasons, rainfall, and temperature cycles.
“When these patterns begin to shift or feel unpredictable, it can create a sense of instability and loss of control or feelings of diminished control over the future,” Runkle said.
For some people, that loss of predictability is deeply personal.
Rukmini Yadav, 67, a farmer in India, links her feelings of constant stress to changes in the seasons. Like most farmers, “I could easily predict when the season would change” – until a few years ago, she said. “Now, I am unable to relate to any of the seasons.”
Younger populations aren’t immune to the problems, either. In a review of studies focused on young people in climate-vulnerable low- and middle-income countries, researchers found that gradual shifts like changing rainfall patterns and prolonged dry spells can affect mental health in myriad ways beyond immediate exposure: destabilizing livelihoods, housing, and access to basic resources. The accumulating pressures compound stress and emotional distress.
“Decreased reliability in seasonal cues would lead to a sense of uncertainty and anxiety about the short- and longer-term future, as well as a decline in perceived control over one’s future and livelihood, and possibly even feelings of hopelessness,” said Lowe, who was not involved in the study of young people.
Ways to cope
Although the psychological burden of climate uncertainty can be significant, researchers say certain strategies can make a meaningful difference.
“Social support was one of the most important: simply having someone to acknowledge their fears and concerns helped people feel less alone,” Runkle said.
Other coping strategies include creative activities, spending time in nature, and seeking out information on constructive ways to deal with climate change. Some people have connected with youth climate networks or gotten involved in organizing efforts.
“People felt better when conversations shifted from helplessness toward agency and connection with others,” Runkle said.
One consistent finding, Lowe said, is that “those who are more directly exposed tend to fare the worst emotionally.”
That means reducing that exposure is central to protecting mental health. This includes ensuring access to basic needs, such as cooling during extreme heat, clean water during drought, and safe shelter during floods.
And when acute events do occur, Lowe added, the response should extend beyond immediate relief. Psychological first aid should be a standard part of post-disaster care.
