Climate Change and Mental Health: Uncertainty and Vulnerability for Alaska Natives

Climate change is currently affecting the health of Alaska Natives, through impacts of: extreme weather, changes to the local environment, and alterations in plants and animal resources. The mental health effect of such impacts remains incompletely researched and understood. This bulletin provides an academic review of Alaska Native climate change mental health impact pathways, and potential responses to mental health effects. This bulletin sets a foundation for future analysis in participation with community members, researchers, and behavioral health practitioners. Alaska Native mental health is vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as: extreme weather, increased erosion, changes in subsistence resources, sea-level, and seasonality, and thawing permafrost. To best protect and promote mental health in response to climate change, the tribal health system can conduct appropriate vulnerability assessment, undertake response planning through existing and novel systems, increase population wide and individual awareness on mental health effects, and support ongoing research and monitoring activities that address these issues. Background: Alaska Native Mental Health Similar to other northern indigenous communities experiencing rapid socio-cultural change over the last century, many Alaska Native mental health issues have origins in cross-cultural adjustment, o