Climate and Mental Well-Being Series

Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Mental Health articulates the links between mental health, well-being and climate change, with a holistic perspective on how climate resilience is intimately linked with social determinants of mental health. This paper was written by Swelen Andari, Director, Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health, at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), on behalf of Thrive Toronto.

The Unequal Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change in the GTA explores how climate change disproportionately affects the mental health of marginalized communities in the Greater Toronto Area. It examines the role of structural inequities, such as housing, income and exclusion from planning, in shaping vulnerability to climate-related stressors like heat and flooding. This paper was written by Mauriene Tolentino, Researcher, at Wellesley Institute, on behalf of Thrive Toronto.

This Climate and Mental Well-Being Series also includes a Glossary of Terms to support accessibility and understanding of key concepts.

Key Messages

• Climate change presents significant threats to human health, driving increasingly severe impacts on physical health, mental health and psychosocial well-being, both in Canada and around the world.
• Those already facing social and structural inequities are at greatest risk, shouldering a disproportionate share of climate-related mental health and psychosocial burdens. In Toronto, existing disparities further amplify these vulnerabilities, compounding the mental health challenges linked to climate change.
• Climate change threatens mental health through multiple, interconnected pathways, from direct trauma caused by extreme weather events, to indirect harm via worsening socioeconomic, environmental and political conditions, as well as the psychological toll of living with the persistent threat and uncertainty of a changing climate.
• Addressing climate risks through the social determinants of mental health strengthens both climate resilience and health equity. Community-led initiatives in areas like green infrastructure, food security and emergency preparedness have potential mental health, social equity and mitigation co-benefits, such as improved air quality, reduced emissions, increased affordability and stronger social cohesion.

Authors

Swelen Andari is the Director of Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She leads a research and systems change initiative to address climate distress, climate action, and active hope for youth. Swelen leads the CAMH Mental Health & Climate Response Initiative, an organization-wide effort addressing climate-related mental health impacts. Trained as a Creative Arts Therapist and with a background in systems thinking and implementation science, she has over a decade of experience in system-level initiatives to improve access, service design, prevention, and youth leadership in Ontario’s child/youth mental health system.

Mauriene Tolentino is a researcher at Wellesley Institute. Their work focuses on mental health, climate resilience and access to health, particularly as experienced by racialized, migrant, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Grounded in a public policy lens, Mauriene’s research aims to inform systems-level change that addresses structural barriers to health and well-being.

Mauriene holds a Master of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, with a specialization in Women and Gender Studies and Public Health Policy. Before joining Wellesley Institute, their work supported government and community-driven work to advance health equity through research, policy analyses, and programs centered on mental health, emergency preparedness and access to care.