Two meta-analyses reported the prevalence of PTSD. 
- One found a prevalence of diagnosed PTSD after floods of 16% (95% CI 0.11–0.21)
- The other reported a prevalence of PTSD in children and adolescents after earthquakes and floods of 20.8% between 0 and 6 months after the event, 14.6% at 6–12 months, and 16.3% at 12–18 months.

Prevalence of PTSD

Two meta-analyses of mostly time-series designs and case-crossover studies examined the association between heat exposure and mental health problems.  
- One found a significant risk ratio (RR) of 1.09 (95% CI 1.06–1.13) for the association between daily suicide rates and an increase in temperature of 7.1°C.  
- The other found an overall RR of 1.02 (95% CI 1.01–1.03) for mental health-related mortality for each degree Celsius increase in temperature, and 1.01 (95% CI 1.007–1.015) for mental health-related morbidity.

The association between heat exposure and mental health problems

Two other studies examined the correlation between the level of exposure to disasters and mental health outcomes.  
- One found a significant correlation between the severity of exposure and PTSD after hurricane Katrina (r = 0.27;  95% CI 0.17–0.36).  
- The other found significant correlations for internalizing (r = 0.18;  95% CI 0.14–0.22), and for externalizing problems (r = 0.08;  95% CI 0.03–0.14).

The correlation between the level of exposure to disasters and mental health outcomes

The impacts that the meta-analysis summarized have main three aspects:

- Prevalence of PTSD

- The association between heat exposure and mental health problems

- The correlation between the level of exposure to disasters and mental health outcomes

Syracuse University

The three specific subjects that are examined in this umbrella review are: 

- The impact of climate events on mental health; 

- The impact of pollution on mental health; 

- The association between green spaces and mental health, as an indicator of the impact of urbanization on mental health.

Impact of climate events, pollution, and green spaces on mental health: Three subjects

Cuijpers, P., Miguel, C., Ciharova, M., Kumar, M., Brander, L., Kumar, P., &amp; Karyotaki, E. (2023). Impact of climate events, pollution, and green spaces on Mental Health: An umbrella review of meta-analyses. Psychological Medicine, 53(3), 638–653. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291722003890 

Impact of climate events, pollution, and green spaces on mental health: Reference

The impact of climate events on mental health

- One analysis of eight Dutch cohorts found a significant pooled prevalence of depression [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07] per 0.2 × 10−5 increase in PM2.5 absorbance 

- Two other meta-analyses also reported small but significant associations at the shorter (<6 months) and longer terms (>6 months) (ORs = 1.10 and 1.06).  

- One meta-analysis reported a significant association between depression and PM10 at the very short term (<2 weeks) (OR = 1.03).

- Other pollutants were found to be significantly associated with depression: nitrogen dioxide (NO2; OR = 1.04), carbon monoxide (CO; OR = 1.01);  and sulfur dioxide (SO2; OR = 1.03). 

- A significant association was also found between noise from aircrafts and depression (OR = 1.14).

- Several meta-analyses found significant associations between pollutants and ASD when the mothers were exposed during pregnancy: PM2.5 (ORs ranging from 1.06 to 2.32), PM10 (OR = 1.07), ozone (O3;    OR = 1.03 and RR = 1.05), NO2 (OR = 1.02), and solvents (OR = 1.03).   

- One study found a lower risk for ASD and pesticides (OR = 0.83). 

- Other meta-analyses found a significant association between PM10 and suicide (RR = 1.02) and between NO2 and suicide (RR = 1.03).

The impact of pollution on mental health

- One pooled analysisfound a significant negative association between 30% increase of green space in the neighborhood and depression (OR = 0.94), and a significant association between grade of urbanization (mean number of addresses per km2 within a radius of 1 km) and depression (OR = 1.05). 

- The other meta-analysis found a significant effect size (SMD = 0.30) for reduction of depressive mood after short-term exposure to natural environments.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After