Objective: This systematic review examines how climate change in India—manifesting through heatwaves, floods, and sea-level rise—intensifies mental health challenges.
Methodology: Relevant literature was systematically retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords climate change, specific climate hazards, and mental health in India. Additional documents were identified through frequently cross-referenced literature.
Findings: Findings indicate that greenhouse gas emissions, combined with India's diverse geomorphology, have exacerbated climate hazards, resulting in losses of lives, livelihoods, housing, infrastructure, cultural sites, agriculture, social ties, and self-esteem. These disruptions often trigger forced migration, poverty, and declining living standards, which in turn contribute to worsening mental health outcomes. The mental health consequences encompass somatic pain, substance use, suicidal ideation, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and a pervasive sense of pessimism about the future. Vulnerable groups include children, the elderly, displaced persons, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and those with low caste, educational, and economic status, as well as those with pre-existing mental disorders. Coordinated actions at federal, state, and community levels—such as relocation to disaster shelters, psychological first aid, and psychosocial support—have helped reduce psychosocial morbidity. However, community preparedness and adaptive strategies vary across hazard types. Enhancing behavioral preparedness, along with technological and environmental interventions such as renewable energy adoption, early warning systems, flood and coastal barriers, and mangrove restoration, can strengthen ecological resilience and counter mental ill health.
Implications/Novelty: The findings justify new directions for research on sea-level rise, risk assessments, longitudinal designs, and indigenous interventions to strengthen adaptation and mitigation efforts aimed at minimizing the adverse consequences of climate hazards and mental ill health.