The nexus of mental health, climate change and artificial intelligence: a narrative review of emerging evidence and clinical implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20260998Keywords:
Climate change, Mental health, Artificial intelligence, Eco-anxiety, Digital health, Psychoterratic syndromes, Machine learning, Wearable sensorsAbstract
Climate change has emerged as a major global determinant of mental health, contributing to a growing burden of psychological distress. Concurrently, artificial intelligence (AI) offers novel approaches to enhance mental health assessment, monitoring, and intervention, particularly in contexts where access to care is limited. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the mental health impacts of climate change and critically examines the potential role of AI-driven technologies in addressing climate-related psychological disorders. A comprehensive narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted using major academic databases. Relevant studies addressing climate-related mental health outcomes and AI applications in mental healthcare were analysed thematically. Four key themes were identified: direct and indirect mental health consequences of climate change, including eco-anxiety, depression, and climate-related post-traumatic stress disorder; emerging AI applications in mental health, such as machine learning–based neuroimaging, digital phenotyping using wearable biosensors, and conversational AI platforms; implementation challenges, including algorithmic bias, data privacy and ethical concerns, and digital inequities; and pathways for integrating climate-sensitive, AI-supported mental health interventions into healthcare systems, particularly in vulnerable populations within low- and middle-income countries such as India. Interdisciplinary collaboration among climate scientists, mental health professionals, and digital health innovators is essential to develop equitable, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based interventions. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies, bias-mitigation strategies in AI systems, and policy frameworks linking climate adaptation with mental health resilience.
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