The impact of climate change on youth depression and mental health

摘要

Youth depression is a major risk factor for suicide, and a leading cause of disability worldwide,1, 2, 3 hence its impact is both devastating and substantial. Although researchers have suggested several potential causal factors that contribute to the development of youth depression including genetic loading, low socioeconomic status, and adverse life events,2 the impact of climate change remains relatively unexplored. In the past three decades, global annual surface temperatures have increased by approximately 0·2°C per decade, giving rise to concerns for planetary and environmental human health.4 Furthermore, global scale specific humidity, defined as the ratio of water vapour mass of moist air taken with respect to the total mass of the system, has increased in response to rising temperatures.5 These planetary changes are believed to be anthropogenic in origin, and are anticipated to increase in extreme precipitation, tropical cyclones, and heat stress events.5 In this Comment, we highlight the potential value of considering climatological variables in the assessment of young people with mental illness.