Women on the frontlines of climate change: mental health, deprivation and climate change

Climate change is often discussed through rising sea levels, intensifying cyclones, and economic losses. Yet for communities living in climate-vulnerable regions, the crisis is also deeply personal – affecting not only livelihoods and environments but also mental health. This research from coastal Bangladesh highlights the psychological toll of climate change on women living in highly exposed coastal communities, revealing an urgent but under-recognised public health challenge.

Climate change and mental health: an overlooked dimension

Climate change has been widely recognised as one of the greatest global health threats of the 21st century (Watts et al., 2018). While public health responses often focus on infectious disease, malnutrition, or injury following disasters, the mental health impacts of environmental change remain comparatively neglected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Approximately 18% of the population lives in coastal regions exposed to cyclones, flooding, and rising sea levels. In these areas, environmental disruption has become a recurring feature of daily life. However, climate impacts are not experienced equally. Women often face heightened vulnerability due to social, economic, and cultural inequalities, which can intensify psychological stress during environmental crises.

Evidence from women living on the climate frontline

A mixed-methods study conducted in Dacope Upazila in Khulna district examined the experiences of over 400 women aged 18-49 living in climate-affected coastal communities. The findings reveal widespread psychological distress associated with climate change.

More than 88% of participants reported being concerned about the impact of the climate crisis on their wellbeing, while 57.7% experienced multiple symptoms of psychological distress, including anxiety, sadness, sleep disturbance, and loss of appetite.

These mental health challenges are not only emotional – they affect daily functioning. Approximately 77% of women reported that psychological distress interfered with their ability to carry out everyday activities and work.

The environmental pressures facing these communities are considerable. Nearly 92% of participants reported experiencing climate-related disasters such as cyclones or floods, and 97.9% stated that the climate crisis had directly affected their livelihoods. For many households dependent on agriculture or fishing, repeated environmental shocks translate into economic insecurity, food shortages, and uncertainty about the future.

Living with constant climate anxiety

Beyond acute disasters, the study reveals how chronic environmental uncertainty shapes everyday psychological experiences. Many women described living with persistent “tension” – a locally used term encompassing stress, anxiety, and worry about future disasters, household survival, and their children’s wellbeing.

These findings align with emerging global research on climate-related psychological distress, including phenomena such as eco-anxiety and ecological grief (Clayton et al., 2017; Cunsolo & Ellis, 2018). However, such experiences are rarely captured in climate policy discussions, particularly in low-income and rural contexts where mental health services are limited.

Women bear a disproportionate burden

The research highlights how climate change interacts with gender inequality to amplify mental health risks. Women in coastal Bangladesh frequently carry primary responsibility for household management, food provision, childcare, and water collection. During environmental crises, these responsibilities intensify. More than 81% of participants believed that women face greater challenges than men during climate-related disasters.

At same time, women often have less access to economic resources, decision-making power, and information, reducing their ability to adapt or recover from environmental shocks. The result is a convergence of environmental stress and social vulnerability that can significantly affect mental wellbeing.

Why this matters for planetary health

The findings underscore a critical insight for the planetary health community: climate change is not only an environmental and physical health issue – it is also a mental health issue. Mental wellbeing influences livelihoods, family stability, and community resilience. Yet psychological impacts remain largely absent from climate adaptation planning.

Addressing this gap requires integrating mental health into climate policy responses. This could include:

• incorporating psychosocial support into disaster preparedness and response systems.
• strengthening community-based mental health services in climate-vulnerable regions
• developing gender-responsive climate adaptation strategies that recognise women’s disproportionate burdens

Without recognising these hidden impacts, climate responses risk overlooking a crucial dimension of human wellbeing.

A human-centred climate response

For women living in coastal Bangladesh, climate change is not simply an environmental phenomenon – it is an everyday emotional and psychological reality. Their experiences offer an important reminder that effective climate action must go beyond infrastructure and mitigation. It must also address the human and mental health dimensions of living on a rapidly changing planet.

Dr Haniya Syed, Lecturer, School of Medicine

References

Clayton, S., Manning, C., Krygsman, K. and Speiser, M. (2017) Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, and ecoAmerica.

Cunsolo, A. and Ellis, N. (2018) 'Ecological grief as a mental health response to climate change', Nature Climate Change, 8, pp. 275-281.

Watts, N., et al. (2018) 'The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change', The Lancet, 392, 10163, pp. 2479-2514.

Research findings derived from: PhD thesis by Haniya Syed.