WHO Urges Mental Health Be Part of Climate Action
A WHO Europe report released at the UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, links climate impacts to rising psychological distress.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Mental Health
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The WHO European Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Health released a report calling for mental health to be included in climate action. It says anxiety about the planet's future can cause distress, disturb sleep and interfere with daily routines, while extreme heat can worsen existing mental health conditions.
Why it matters
Direct exposure to floods and wildfires is linked to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, meaning climate impacts carry psychological costs alongside physical ones. The report also notes that responses across the WHO European Region remain fragmented, with gaps in evidence, program design and evaluation.
A 2021 Lancet Planetary Health survey of 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 across ten countries found up to 65% of young respondents in four countries worried about climate change, with up to 37% saying it harmed their ability to function. The report reviews 20 interventions in 15 countries of the WHO European Region, and it remains unclear which program designs are most effective.
The players
World Health Organization (WHO) European Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Health
The WHO's regional body focused on environmental and climate threats to health across the European Region.
The details
Slovenia's response to its 2023 floods included mobile mental health teams and hotlines, while Estonia's Green Movement led the "Coping with Climate Anxiety" project with partners from three other European countries. That project produced youth worker training, peer-support guidance, self-help workbooks and workshops for people aged 16 to 25.
Timeline
2021: Lancet Planetary Health survey of 10,000 young people conducted.
June 2022: WHO launched a policy brief at the Stockholm+50 conference.
2023: Floods in Slovenia prompted a government and community mental health response.
November 10, 2026: WHO European Centre released the report during the UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye.
Health Landscape
The report extends the 2021 Lancet Planetary Health survey, which first quantified high levels of youth climate distress across ten countries, by shifting attention from documenting worry to evaluating how health systems in the WHO European Region are responding. It positions climate-related mental health as a policy priority alongside the physical health impacts that have long dominated climate and health discussions.
Anyone experiencing persistent worry about climate change, or distress after floods, heat or wildfires, may find community-based support useful. The report notes that clearer guidance on when to seek specialized care is still being developed.
The takeaway
Climate anxiety is a health concern in its own right, and treating it as part of climate response means pairing community support with clearer pathways to specialized care. Readers worried about climate change can seek help from trusted health providers when distress affects sleep, work or daily life.
Further reading
Explore more on Mental Health to see how climate anxiety fits into broader psychological wellbeing research.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Qazinform.
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