Overview
The UQ Mental Health in Climate Change Transdisciplinary Research Network (UQ MHCC-TRN) was established in 2019 to respond to growing needs of government and industry for an evidence base that support the implementation of intervention, tools, and policies.
The Network specialises in mental health for communities that are impacted by climate change events. Its focus is on research, evidence, and solutions.
Network members include field experts as well as academic experts from various research disciplines who collaborate in research activities and harness transdisciplinary expertise. Headquartered in Queensland, Australia, our membership base is of national and international reach.
General enquiries
Mental Health in Climate Change Network
School of Public Health, UQ
Email: mentalhealth-climatechange@uq.edu.au
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Why we exist
The Mental Health in Climate Change Transdisciplinary Research Network (MHCC-TRN) is the first network of its kind in Australia. Its vision is to secure the mental health of rural and regional communities in a rapidly changing climate.
Our five-year-plan is to:
- Build a strong network of motivated and involved members from across the globe
- Establish a national and international research agenda agreed by members
- Contribute to successful completion of research through linking field experts with academic experts
- Contribute to the development of practical tools that can be used on the ground to support planning, service delivery, and mental health interventions
Journal articles
Ma, Tianyi, Moore, Jane and Cleary Anne (2022). Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: a scoping review of risk and protective factors. Social Science and Medicine 114888, 114888. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114888
A social–ecological perspective on climate anxiety in children and adolescents
Crandon, Tara J., Scott, James G., Charlson, Fiona J. and Thomas, Hannah J. (2022). A social–ecological perspective on climate anxiety in children and adolescents. Nature Climate Change. doi: 10.1038/s41558-021-01251-y
Global priorities for climate change and mental health research
Charlson, Fiona, Ali, Suhailah, Augustinavicius, Jura, Benmarhnia, Tarik, Birch, Stephen, Clayton, Susan, Fielding, Kelly, Jones, Lynne, Juma, Damian, Snider, Leslie, Ugo, Victor, Zeitz, Lian, Jayawardana, Danusha, La Nauze, Andrea and Massazza, Alessandro (2022). Global priorities for climate change and mental health research. Environment International, 158 106984. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106984
Climate change and mental health: a scoping review
Charlson, Fiona, Ali, Suhailah, Benmarhnia, Tarik, Pearl, Madeleine, Massazza, Alessandro, Augustinavicius, Jura and Scott, James G. (2021). Climate change and mental health: a scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (9) 4486, 1-38. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094486
Understanding and responding to climate-driven non-economic loss and damage in the Pacific Islands
McNamara KE, Westoby R, Clissold R and Chandra A (2021) ‘Understanding and responding to climate-driven non-economic loss and damage in the Pacific Islands’, Climate Risk Management, 33, 100336, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2021.100336
Mental health in the Pacific: Urgency and opportunity
Ali, Suhailah, Williams, Owain, Chang, Odille, Shidhaye, Rahul, Hunter, Ernest and Charlson, Fiona (2020). Mental health in the Pacific: Urgency and opportunity. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 61 (3) apv.12286, 537-550. doi: 10.1111/apv.12286
Climate change impacts on health in remote indigenous communities in Australia
Hall, Nina Lansbury and Crosby, Lucy (2020). Climate change impacts on health in remote indigenous communities in Australia. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-16. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2020.1777948
Responding to climate change disaster: The case of 2019/2020 bushfires in Australia
Jetten, J., Fielding, K., Crimston, C., Mols, F., & Haslam, S.A. (2020). Responding to climate change disaster: The case of 2019/2020 bushfires in Australia. Revised manuscript submitted to European Psychologist, 26(3), 161-171.
Book chapters
Mass emotional events: rethinking emotional contagions after COVID-19
McKenzie, Jordan, Patulny, Roger, Olson, Rebecca E. and Bower, Marlee (2022). Mass emotional events: rethinking emotional contagions after COVID-19. Dystopian emotions: emotional landscapes and dark futures (pp. 71-88) edited by Jordan McKenzie and Roger Patulny. Bristol, United Kingdom: Bristol University Press.
Other outputs
How to heal in the Anthropocene
Clissold R, Westoby R and McNamara KE (2021) ‘How to heal in the Anthropocene’, BBC, 22 April, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210420-mental-health-healing-the-trauma-of-climate-change
Non-economic loss and damage: insights from the Pacific Islands
Clissold R, McNamara KE, Westoby R and Chandra A (2021) ‘Non-economic loss and damage: insights from the Pacific Islands’, Climate Analytics, 23 September, https://climateanalytics.org/blog/2021/non-economic-loss-and-damage-insights-from-the-pacific-islands/
Climate is changing our mental health (22 March 2022)
In times of great need, people affected by disaster need great sensitivity (6 March 2022)
Urgent need to safeguard mental health in climate change (28 April, 2021)
Taking climate action to protect public health (25 September 2020)
You're not the only one feeling helpless. Eco-anxiety can reach far beyond bushfire communities (15 January 2020)
Past Events
Climate change and mental health webinar series | RANZCP
Climate change and mental health: What we need to know and care about
Featuring Associate Professor Fiona Charlson
My Climate Action: Mental Resilience and Health, hosted by The United Nations Association of Australia Young Professionals.
Webinar: Working together to solve the mental health impacts of climate change (14 June 2022)
Supporting Young People to cope with climate anxiety (30 June 2022)
Webinars - Coming Soon
Future webinar dates will be announced soon. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed.
Topics will include:
- Using System Dynamics Modelling to inform targeted interventions
- Mental Health in Climate Change Policy Review
- Mapping Interventions in Mental Health and Climate Change
- Mental Health in Climate Change, a Social Science perspective.