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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1463676
This article is part of the Research Topic The Impact of Extreme Weather Events on Public Health View all 7 articles

Climate Change and Suicide Epidemiology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Gender Variations in Global Suicide Rates

Provisionally accepted
丹丹 陈 丹丹 陈 1,2Jin-Heng Tu Jin-Heng Tu 2Ke-Nan Ling Ke-Nan Ling 2*Xiao-Hong Jin Xiao-Hong Jin 3*Hai-Yan Huang Hai-Yan Huang 3*
  • 1 Nantong University, Nantong, China
  • 2 School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 3 Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 南通市, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Climate change is reshaping public health, introducing extreme weather conditions and environmental stressors-such as high temperatures, atmospheric pollution, desertification, and storms (rain, thunder, and hail)-that critically impact mental health. Evidence increasingly links these factors to higher rates of suicide-related outcomes, including suicidal ideation, attempts, and self-harm. Such interactions underscore the importance of understanding how climate-driven mental health risks vary by environmental factor and gender, as gender-specific vulnerabilities shape responses to climate stressors. Methods: By April 16, 2024, we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest, and Embase. Two researchers independently reviewed studies and collected demographic data, systematically tracking and recording rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, suicide deaths, self-harm, and anxiety. Data were rigorously cross-verified for accuracy and consistency.Results: The meta-analysis demonstrated significant associations between climate change variables and mental health outcomes. High temperatures and air pollution were linked to increased suicide attempts (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.34-1.45) and suicide deaths (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.44-1.58), particularly among males. Conversely, atmospheric pollution and desertification correlated with a reduced likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.63-0.85). These findings highlight gender-specific mental health impacts, with females exhibiting higher rates of anxiety and self-harm, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing climate-induced mental health risks.Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis reveal significant gender-specific mental health impacts of climate change, with females experiencing higher rates of anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, while males show greater incidences of suicide attempts and deaths. These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted interventions and the integration of mental health services into climate policies to address these gender disparities.Design: This study is registered with PROSPERO ( PROSPERO (york.ac.uk)) under the identifier CRD42024534961.

    Keywords: climate change1, Suicide Epidemiology2, Gender Variations3, environmental health4, Suicide Risk Factors5

    Received: 12 Jul 2024; Accepted: 18 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 陈, Tu, Ling, Jin and Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Ke-Nan Ling, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
    Xiao-Hong Jin, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 南通市, China
    Hai-Yan Huang, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 南通市, China

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