Climate and Mental Health:
How the Environmental Crisis Amplifies Psychological Risks in the Most Vulnerable Communities
By Andreína Barreto Jové, Huella Zero
The link between the climate crisis and mental health is becoming increasingly evident. Alongside rising temperatures, more intense hurricanes, and more frequent floods, the psychological impacts of these phenomena on millions of people are also growing.
The most recent Commonwealth Fund State Scorecard on Climate and Health report, published in September 2025 by The Commonwealth Fund, precisely shows how climate change is altering living conditions and the capacity of healthcare systems in the United States.
Most Vulnerable Areas
The organization’s report showed that climate risks do not affect all states or all communities in the United States equally. Vermont, New York, and Washington are the best prepared to face extreme weather events; while West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida are among the most vulnerable.
The ranking is based on eight key indicators that include air quality, extreme heat, flood risk, energy efficiency, and pollutant emissions.
The situation is particularly worrying for states with large Latino populations, where multiple environmental risks are concentrated. California and Arizona have the worst air quality in the country, driven by wildfires, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter from dust and weather events in the western region.
In parallel, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona face the highest levels of extreme heat, with longer hot seasons and temperatures that frequently exceed 98.6°F (equivalent to 37°C). These conditions disproportionately affect Latinos, who often work outdoors in sectors such as agriculture and construction, where exposure to heat is intense and prolonged.
Polluted air is another determining factor. Experts cited by the report and by organizations such as the American Lung Association maintain that Latinos are up to 2.8 times more likely to reside in areas with poor ratings on key air quality indicators. They also noted that prolonged exposure to ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, cognitive impairment, and even premature death. Diseases such as diabetes and heart problems (two of the most prevalent among the Latino population) further amplify this vulnerability.
The study also warns about the risks of flooding in coastal states like Florida and Louisiana. In Florida, nearly 15% of hospital beds are located in areas at high risk of flooding, which compromises the ability to respond to climate emergencies.
“Healthcare systems are meant to be a lifeline, but many are not prepared for extreme weather events,” said Lovisa Gustafsson, vice president of the Making Health Care Affordable program at The Commonwealth Fund.
These events not only cause physical damage and infrastructure collapse; they also leave profound psychological scars. In an interview with Huella Zero, psychiatrist Gabriel Vargas explained that phenomena such as hurricanes, fires, floods, and droughts can trigger severe stress, anxiety, and even more complex mental health disorders, such as major depression, complicated grief, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
“These events leave a mark on the psyche and can manifest in various ways, such as stress or anxiety, but they can develop into what we call psychopathological clinical conditions, that is, actual diseases in psychiatry, such as an anxiety disorder, major depression, complicated grief, and what is most closely linked to these events are the so-called post-traumatic stress disorders,” the doctor said.
Psychological Support after a Natural Disaster
The specialist emphasized that, for people who experience natural disasters, early psychological support is crucial. Safety, access to basic necessities, and reconnection with family and community networks are essential factors for the adaptive management of trauma.
But environmental degradation doesn’t only affect those who have experienced an extreme event. It also influences, albeit more subtly, the daily well-being of those who live in dense, polluted cities.
Therefore, the specialist highlighted the importance of regular contact with nature: walking in a park, going to the beach, or even walking barefoot on the grass: “Oxygen in its purest form increases mental health standards.”
Both Vargas and The Commonwealth Fund agreed that maintaining an active lifestyle and seeking out green spaces, even within crowded cities, helps reduce stress and improve emotional well-being.
The organization’s report aligns with this view and warns that climate change will intensify health risks and put pressure on healthcare systems.
Among the most vulnerable groups, it mentioned children, the elderly, low-income communities, and, notably, Latinos. For these populations, solutions involve strengthening the resilience of hospitals, reducing polluting emissions, and promoting clean energy policies.
Mental Health Resources
● National Mental Health Crisis Line: 988
● National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
