Wednesday 22 July 11:25
- 12:55
Hall: 25 - Room 4 SPT
Chair and Presenter:
Mumah Solomon
Division: Division 4: Environmental Psychology
Climate change is increasingly recognized as both an environmental and mental health crisis. In Kenya, recurrent droughts, floods, displacement, food insecurity, and rising heat stress have placed unprecedented strain on communities—yet the psychological consequences remain underexplored. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners to interrogate the complex links between climate change and mental health, highlighting Kenyan and African perspectives that are often missing in global discourse.
The novelty of this symposium lies in its multidimensional framing of climate change as a determinant of mental health, with special attention to youth climate anxiety, gendered vulnerabilities, displacement trauma, traditional resilience mechanisms, and policy gaps. By foregrounding African experiences, the discussion offers culturally grounded insights that expand beyond the dominant Western narratives on eco-psychology.
Each paper contributes a distinct lens:
• Urban and rural exposure: Presenters analyze heatwaves in cities, drought in ASAL regions, and floods in riverine communities.
• Vulnerable populations: Case studies highlight the mental health burdens among women, youth, pastoralists, and informal settlement residents.
• Cultural and policy responses: Contributions explore indigenous coping mechanisms, eco-grief among youth activists, and pathways for embedding mental health into Kenya's climate policies.
Together, the presentations provide a holistic understanding of the climate-mental health nexus, offering evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice, community resilience, and national adaptation strategies.
