Aşırı Hava Olaylarının Fiziksel ve Ruhsal Sağlık Üzerindeki Etkileri

The most tangible impacts of climate change on public health are the increasing incidence of extreme weather events. Extreme weather events, defined as dynamic events occurring within a limited timeframe that disrupt the normal functioning of a system, directly and indirectly increase the disease burden and negatively impact physical and mental health. Extreme weather events, such as heat waves and floods, increase the prevalence of diseases and the use of healthcare services. Direct impacts include heat-related illnesses and deaths from floods. Indirect impacts arise when environmental changes affect health; water pollution increases gastrointestinal diseases, and air pollution can worsen chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or increase the incidence of vector-borne diseases in both endemic and non-endemic areas. The physical health impacts of extreme weather events include increased malnutrition and hunger due to food insecurity, increased incidence of vector-borne diseases, worsening degenerative brain diseases, and increased risk from non-communicable diseases. Mental health issues, considered one of the most neglected areas of public health, are associated with rising temperatures, the trauma caused by weather- and climate-related extreme events, and the loss of livelihoods and culture. As global warming continues to increase globally, mental health problems are expected to increase, particularly among children, adolescents, the elderly, and individuals with underlying health conditions. The direct and immediate effects of extreme weather events on mental health manifest primarily in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. The distress resulting from ongoing and anticipated climate and environmental change is particularly increasing levels of solastalgia and eco-anxiety in children and adolescents. Consequently, extreme weather events have the potential to disrupt efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by affecting the determinants of health. As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, developing evidence-based strategies will be vital for protecting physical and mental health and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, conducting modeling to identify causal pathways and mediating factors between extreme weather events and physical and mental health outcomes; developing valid and reliable quantitative measurement tools to determine the mental health impacts of extreme weather events; examining the factors that increase vulnerability and resilience to the physical and mental health impacts of extreme weather events; establishing framework intervention protocols in line with evidence from epidemiological studies; and continuous investment in interdisciplinary research and intersectoral collaboration to increase physical and mental resilience and protect vulnerable populations from extreme weather events will provide a comprehensive perspective on the subject.