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Credit: Eoin Ryan (McMurray, C. (2025). » Building a climate neuroscience subfield: Q&A with Angie Michaiel. Thetransmitter.Org.https://www.thetransmitter.org/community/building-a-climate-neuroscience-subfield-qa-with-angie-michaiel/)
How Climate Disasters Create Trauma?
Climate disasters such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and heatwaves can create traumatic experiences by threatening lives, causing injuries, destroying homes, and taking loved ones. Evacuation and displacement can disrupt daily routines, separate communities, and create feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. Financial losses and damaged livelihoods add further stress. These experiences can lead to mental health challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, grief, sleep problems, and psychological distress. Trauma can develop through directly experiencing a disaster, indirectly experiencing its consequences, or repeatedly facing extreme weather events.
How Big Is the Problem?
Climate-related trauma is a significant mental health concern worldwide. A meta-analysis of 23 studies found that approximately 29.5% of flood victims experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another meta-analysis found PTSD prevalence of 26% among people exposed to natural hazards, rising to 46.5% among displaced populations. A 2026 review of 49 studies across 25 countries also reported high rates of climate-related mental health challenges, including anxiety (31.1%), psychological stress (31.9%), depression (28.4%), and PTSD (23.2%). The risk of trauma tends to increase with disaster severity, while limited financial resources can make recovery more difficult.
Canada Specific
The psychological effects of climate disasters can last for months or even years, particularly when people experience repeated disasters, displacement, or financial losses. Repeated exposure can lead to cumulative trauma and ongoing fear of future events. Climate change can also contribute to eco-anxiety, or persistent worry about the planet's future. According to Statistics Canada (2026), 53% of Canadians were very or extremely concerned about climate change, while 30% experienced climate-related stress at least once a month. Children and youth, low-income communities, Indigenous communities, farmers, and displaced populations may be especially vulnerable. Strong community support, financial resources, and access to mental-health services can help people cope and recover.
Long-Term Effects & Who Is Most Vulnerable?
The psychological effects of climate disasters can last for months or even years. Repeated exposure to extreme weather events can cause cumulative trauma and ongoing fear of future disasters. Displacement can make recovery more difficult by disrupting housing, employment, community connections, and social support. Climate change can also contribute to eco-anxiety, an ongoing fear or worry about the planet’s future. Children and youth, low-income communities, Indigenous communities, farmers, and displaced populations may be particularly vulnerable to these effects. Strong social and community support, financial resources, and access to mental-health services can help people cope with trauma and support long-term recovery.
How Can We Address Climate-Related Trauma?
Reducing climate-related trauma in Canada requires accessible mental-health care, strong community support, and better disaster preparedness. People affected by floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events should have access to trauma-informed counselling and psychological support during recovery. Community networks, family connections, and financial and housing assistance can help reduce the stress caused by displacement and loss. Education about coping strategies and climate anxiety can also help people manage ongoing fears about the future. By improving access to mental-health services and preparing communities before disasters occur, Canada can help vulnerable populations recover and build long-term resilience.
Resources To Help
1. Canadian Red Cross — Psychological First Aid
Learn practical ways to recognize emotional distress, cope with trauma, and support people affected by emergencies. The Red Cross also offers free online Psychological First Aid training through its emergency preparedness initiative.
Explore psychological first aid resources
2. 211 Canada — Find Local Support
Connects people with local mental-health services, counselling, housing assistance, financial support, and community programs. The service is free and confidential in most of Canada.
3. Government of Canada — Mental Health Support
Provides links to provincial and territorial mental-health services, youth support, Indigenous-specific resources, and other national organizations.
4. 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Call or text 9-8-8, free and available 24/7 across Canada, if someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts or needs support during a crisis.
References
Aerial view of flooded city with buildings submerged. (n.d.). [Photograph]. In Asia Financial. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://www.asiafinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/rei-copy.jpg
Canadians” climate change concern by gender, age, and education in 2025. (n.d.). [Chart]. In Statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2026001/article/00008/c-g/c-g02-eng.png
Canadians” stress about climate change by age, gender, and education. (n.d.). [Chart]. In Statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2026001/article/00008/c-g/c-g03-eng.png
Clinic, C. (2023, January 16). How to heal from trauma. Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-heal-from-trauma
Facette, T., Christidis, T., Howe, A., & Pinault, L. (2026, July 8). This study uses data from the 2025 Canadian social survey to examine canadians’ beliefs about the effects of climate change, as well as their level of concern and how frequently it is a source of stress. It also explores the relationship between concern, stress, and actions taken at the individual level to reduce environmental impact. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Statcan.Gc.Ca. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2026001/article/00008-eng.htm
Gauthier, G. M., Pandey, S., Sanchez, V., Stromberg, S. E., & Zoellner, L. A. (2025). Posttraumatic stress disorder and climate change: A meta-analysis of prospective, acute predictors of PTSD following extreme weather events. Clinical Psychology Review, 122, 102662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2025.102662
Golitaleb, M., Mazaheri, E., Bonyadi, M., & Sahebi, A. (2022). Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder after flood: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.890671
Kip, A., Valencia, S., Glunz, E., Lowe, S. R., Tam, K.-P., & Morina, N. (2024). Prevalence of mental disorders in adult populations from the global south following exposure to natural hazards: A meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2045796024000672
Long-term mental health effects of trauma. (n.d.). [Illustration]. In NitroPack. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://cdn-ioakn.nitrocdn.com/EbkDNLbEXYvKTYJAPfMemiiivCneUdPp/assets/images/optimized/rev-adfe5aa/mentalhealthhotline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/mhh-Long-Term-Mental-Health-Effects-of-Trauma-1024x536.png
Man helping woman climb mountain at sunset. (n.d.). [Photograph]. In Psychology Today. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inline-half-caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2020-02/adobestock_144255497.jpeg?itok=7Rt-bVOy
Niazi, Y., Syed Muhammad, Y. F., Muhammad, M., Yousaf, S., & Sajid, H. (2026). The impact of climate change on mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Geopsychiatry, 3, 100067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geopsy.2026.100067
Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, March 18). Tropical cyclone. Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone
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