A study demonstrates a lack of solid data on how to deal with the impacts of climate change on mental health

Authored by an international team with the significant involvement of researchers from IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic Barcelona, JAMA Psychiatry has published the first review to synthesise and comprehensively evaluate all available scientific evidence on mental health interventions related to the natural environment and the risks of climate change.

Including nearly 340 studies, the review reveals that although activities and therapies involving contact with nature are associated with clear mental health benefits, scientific evidence remains scarce in the specific context of climate change.

According to the results of the study, activities and therapies that involve contact with natural environments, such as walks in green spaces, gardening or even exposure to virtual natural settings, are consistently associated with a reduction in tension, confusion and fatigue, as well as a boost in wellbeing, positive mood and vitality.

However, when the study examines whether such activities and therapies have been evaluated in situations directly linked to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat episodes, natural disasters or environmental degradation, the conclusion is clear: the evidence is very limited or non-existent. The same is true for psychosocial interventions applied after climate-related risks, for which most of the available evidence is of low quality.

According to Michele De Prisco, one of the lead authors of the study and a researcher in the IDIBAPS research group Bipolar and depressive disorders, ‘We know that nature has beneficial effects on mental health, but there are almost no studies that measure whether these interventions specifically protect us from the impacts of climate change. It is a critical gap that needs to be closed’.

To move forward, the authors point to three priority needs:

Conduct more specific studies in the context of climate change, especially among vulnerable populations and in low- and middle-income countries, where climate-related risks are more severe and inequalities in mental health are more pronounced.
Generate a robust scientific base that can help to guide and inform public policy, clinical guidelines and preventive intervention.
Promote coordinated global strategies that integrate mental health into climate change adaptation and mitigation plans.

In this sense, co-author Joaquim Raduà, the head of the IDIBAPS research group Imaging of mood- and anxiety-related disorders (IMARD), says, ‘We need much more solid and specific evidence to prepare for the impact that climate change will have on mental health. This study marks a starting point, but there is still a long way to go’.

One of the most significant steps taken in this direction thus far is the creation of The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Climate Change and Mental Health. Many of the authors of the study are involved, including Michele De Prisco, Eduard Vieta and Joaquim Radua. This new international commission will strive to identify top research priorities, set rigorous scientific standards and provide specific recommendations for integrating mental health into climate policy worldwide.

Study of reference: Brandt L, De Prisco M, Nocera D, et al. Climate-Related and Nature-Based Interventions for Mental Health: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online March 04, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.003

Image: From left to right: Michele De Prisco, Joaquim Raduà and Eduard Vieta.