Addressing workforce shortages in mental health care for climate-displaced populations: A systematic review of global challenges and solutions
1 Aston Pharmacy School, College of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
2 Department of Chemistry, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.
3 Valar Institute, Quantic School of Business and Technology, Washington DC, USA.
4 Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
5 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Port-harcourt, Port-harcourt, Nigeria.
6 Department of Public Health, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
7 Department of Computer Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Review
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2025, 10(02), 101–120.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2025.10.2.0082
Publication history:
Received on 07 October 2025; revised on 15 November 2025; accepted on 17 November 2025
Abstract:
In an era where climate change propels unprecedented waves of human displacement which is projected to uproot over 200 million people by mid-century, the mental health toll on these vulnerable populations demands urgent scrutiny, particularly amid glaring shortages in the global mental health workforce that leave trauma, anxiety, depression, and emerging afflictions like eco-anxiety untreated and festering. This systematic review meticulously synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence from 2010 to 2025, drawing on databases such as PubMed and PsycINFO to dissect the multifaceted psychological burdens borne by climate displaced communities, from acute post-disaster shock in hurricane ravaged Americas to chronic cultural grief among indigenous Pacific Islanders facing submerging homelands, while exposing systemic barriers like understaffing in low-income regions, cultural mismatches, provider burnout, and policy voids that exacerbate inequities across high-income resettlement hubs and overcrowded refugee camps in Africa and Asia. Revealing stark regional disparities where affluent nations grapple with integration hurdles and resource-poor settings rely on overburdened NGOs. This analysis uncovers innovative pathways forward, including task-shifting to community health workers, telehealth expansions for remote access, and policy reforms integrating mental health into climate adaptation agendas, with evaluated pilots demonstrating tangible reductions in distress when scaled thoughtfully. By illuminating these challenges and solutions, this review not only underscores the imperative for multidisciplinary investments in resilient, culturally attuned workforces but also galvanizes global stakeholders to reframe climate displacement as a profound mental health crisis, fostering equitable interventions that transform vulnerability into enduring resilience and avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
Keywords:
Climate Displacement; Mental Health; Workforce Shortages; Eco-Anxiety; Psychosocial Interventions; Task-Shifting; Telehealth; Climate Adaptation
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Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0