Warming-induced mental disruption costs the global economy $1 trillion a year

Photo by: Vladimir Vladimirov / iStock

Depression and anxiety disorders cause 12 billion losses annually and cost the global economy $1 trillion. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) report on mental health in the workplace.

WHO guidelines recommend reducing mental health hazards such as excessive workloads, negative behaviours and other stressors.

WHO has for the first time recommended that managers should be trained to prevent stressful situations and to respond to psycho-emotional disturbances in the workplace.

In June 2022, WHO launched a report on mental health, according to which 1 billion people in the world suffer from mental disorders, including 15% of adults of working age.

Various phenomena that are harmful to mental health are exacerbated during working life. These include discrimination and inequalities in the form of workplace aggression, bullying and psychological pressure.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression has increased by 25%. At the same time, the unpreparedness of governments for its impact on mental health has become apparent, with insufficient resources being allocated to mental health care around the world.

According to research, climate change has a powerful effect on people’s psyches, deepening a whole range of mental disorders.

Scientists have found that high temperatures and related natural disasters increase depression and anxiety disorders in patients who already suffer from these conditions.

Experts have found a link between heat waves and suicide. Experts at the University of Adelaide in Australia have calculated that a 1 °C rise in average monthly temperature increases the rate of mental health-related deaths by 2.2%.

Increased heat and humidity also leads to more frequent manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. High temperatures can also harm people without pronounced mental health problems, as heat stress slows reaction time and interferes with cognitive tasks.

Cover photo: Yury Karamanenko / iStock