(Vienna, 11-09-2025) The new Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Climate Change and Mental Health is dedicated to addressing the global challenges that climate change poses for mental health. Judit Simon from MedUni Vienna is part of the steering group and leads the key area on the economic and financial evaluation of measures.
The commission is made up of international experts from the fields of psychiatry, neuroscience, environmental science, climate research, public health and health economics, and people with lived experiences. Its aim is to create a scientific basis for strategies that promote mental health in the context of climate change. Judit Simon leads the key area that examines the economic and financial dimensions. The aim is to support evidence-based investment and policy decisions and to develop measures for sustainable climate resilience.
The background to this is the increasing strain on mental health caused by climate change: rising temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events and environmental destruction are associated with an increase in mental disorders, suicides and stress-related illnesses. Children, young people, older people, people with pre-existing conditions and population groups in resource-poor regions are particularly affected.
The economic consequences are considerable: the costs of climate change-related mental illness alone are estimated to exceed 245 billion USD by 2050. Nevertheless, mental health has so far been given insufficient consideration in national and international climate policy. With its interdisciplinary approach, the Lancet Psychiatry Commission aims to close this gap and develop an action plan for prevention, care and policy measures.