Climate change, rising temperatures, air pollution, noise, and stressful living conditions in cities are factors that can have a negative impact on mental health. An international commission of more than 20 experts is therefore calling for greater consideration of the effects of environmental changes on mental health in future policy decisions. The Earth Brain Health Commission has now published its recommendations in the journal Nature Mental Health. Prof. Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, director of the Central Institute for Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, and Dr. Sebastian Karl, a researcher at the CIMH, also contributed to the report.
Incorporating Mental Health into Political Decision-Making
The Commission has compiled scientific evidence on the effects of environmental conditions on the brain and mental health. According to this evidence, extreme weather events, air and noise pollution, urban stressors, and social inequality, among other factors, are associated with an increased risk of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders. Children, older adults, and socially disadvantaged groups, among others, are particularly at risk.
“Studying the processes underlying the negative effects of climate change on mental health is of great societal importance. Not only does the health of the population deteriorate significantly due to effects such as heat waves, but people with mental illnesses are also particularly affected by them,” says Meyer-Lindenberg.
Experts are calling for mental health to be systematically taken into account in the future when planning and evaluating environmental and climate protection measures. For example, measures to combat heat and air pollution should also be evaluated based on their impact on the population’s mental health. To this end, the commission recommends, among other things, better integrating existing research data and linking early warning systems for heat and poor air quality with mental health support services.
Environmental Factors as a Research Focus at the CIMH
For many years, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg’s research at the CIMH has focused on how environmental conditions influence mental health. In his work, he examines both stressful factors, such as social stress, and potential protective factors, such as experiences in nature and social relationships. In the HOTHEAD project, funded by the European Research Council, scientists at the CIMH are also investigating how heat influences aggressive behavior.
With its report, the international commission aims to help ensure that research findings are more fully incorporated into policy decisions. Its goal is to ensure that, within the next ten years, no major environmental policy measures are planned or evaluated without taking into account their potential impact on mental health.
Original publication
Schumann, G., Luterbacher, J., Marquand, A. et al. Nature Mental Health Earth–Brain–Health Commission. Nat. Mental Health (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s44220-026-00737-y