Association of Stressors Driven by Climate Change with Mental Health Problems among Adults in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Authors

  • Ahmed Ali Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Sabir Shahzad College of Clinical Psychology, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Shahid Iqbal (Ph.D) Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Salman Shahzad (Ph.D) Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Faryana Amin Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Nasreen Begum Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Atiya Khatoon (Ph.D) Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18310175

Abstract

Abstract Views: 301

This study investigated the predictive association of stressors (with mental health problems, i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) driven by climate change among adults in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. For the sample, adults aged between 20 and 55 years were recruited from various locations in Gilgit Baltistan (Gilgit & Baltistan) using convenience sampling techniques. The measures, including the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS), were used to assess the variables. The findings revealed that climate change significantly predicted depression, anxiety, and stress. Nevertheless, the stress was found to be a moderately positive predictive relationship in each case. The findings suggest that climate-related stress is significantly associated with increased psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress). The findings underscore the significant role of climate-related stress and assist in designing and implementing indigenous psycho-social support and interventions to reduce the risk of mental health issues and improving wellbeing of climate-disaster-affected communities.

Keywords:

Anxiety, depression, & stress, Climate change, Gilgit Baltistan, Mental health

Author Biographies

Ahmed Ali,

He is a Research Scholar at the Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. He completed his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.

Sabir Shahzad,

He is a Lecturer at the College of Clinical Psychology, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan. He is currently a PhD Scholar (Clinical Psychology) at the University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Shahid Iqbal (Ph.D),

He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. He obtained his Post-Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Salman Shahzad (Ph.D),

He is a Professor at the Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan. He obtained his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Faryana Amin,

She is a Research Scholar at the Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.

Nasreen Begum,

She is a Research Scholar at the Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her Masters of Clinical Psychology from the Virtual University, Karachi Campus, Pakistan.

Atiya Khatoon (Ph.D),

She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. She obtained her Doctorate Degree in Arts from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.

References

Akram, S., & Mushtaq, S. (2024). Environmental change and floods: The long-ignored effects of displacement on mental health. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1434123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1434123

Ali, A., Shedayi, A. A., Khan, A., & Shafaqat, S. (2024). How does climate change impact remote mountain communities? An empirical investigation in Gilgit-Baltistan. GeoJournal, 89(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11043-4

Aslam, M., Hayat, R., Pari, N., Sameen, A., & Ahmed, M. (2023). Climate change, flash floods and its consequences: A case study of Gilgit-Baltistan. In Disaster Risk Reduction in Agriculture (pp. 293-310). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1763-1_14

Begum, N., Malik, A. A., & Shahzad, S. (2014). Prevalence of psychological problems among survivors of the earthquake in northern areas of Pakistan. Asian Journal of Management Sciences & Education, 3, 49-57.

Berger, A., Yin, Q., Nifenecker, H., & Poitou, J. (2017). Slowdown of global surface air temperature increase and acceleration of ice melting. Earth's Future, 5(7), 811-822. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017EF000554

Berry, H. L., Waite, T. D., Dear, K. B., Capon, A. G., & Murray, V. (2018). The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health. Nature Climate Change, 8(4), 282-290. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0102-4

Boluda-Verdu, I., Senent-Valero, M., Casas-Escolano, M., Matijasevich, A., & Pastor-Valero, M. (2022). Fear for the future: Eco-anxiety and health implications, a systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, 101904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101904

Choudhry, F. R., Khan, N., & Munawar, K. (2023). Barriers and facilitators to mental health care: A systematic review in Pakistan. International Journal of Mental Health, 52(2), 124-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2021.1941563

Cianconi, P., Betrò, S., & Janiri, L. (2020). The impact of climate change on mental health: a systematic descriptive review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 490206. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074

Clayton, S., & Karazsia, B. T. (2020). Development and validation of a measure of climate change anxiety. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, 101434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101434

Cosh, S. M., Ryan, R., Fallander, K., Robinson, K., Tognela, J., Tully, P. J., & Lykins, A. D. (2024). The relationship between climate change and mental health: a systematic review of the association between eco-anxiety, psychological distress, and symptoms of major affective disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 833. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-06274-1

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. (2021). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021. Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4474en

Hayes, K., Blashki, G., Wiseman, J., Burke, S., & Reifels, L. (2018). Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 12(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0210-6

Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., ... & Van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863-e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3

Khalid, F., Perveen, A., & Chaman, T. (2025). Mental Health Risks of Climate Change Exposure: Evidence from Flood-Affected Populations in Pakistan. International" Journal of Academic Research for Humanities", 5(4), 9-16.

Levine, M. D., & Steele, R. V. (2021). Climate change: What we know and what is to be done. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 10(1), e388. https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.388

Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335-343. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U

Muhammad, A., Qureshi, A. Z., Farhan, M., Oduoye, M. O., Shehzad, F., & Imran, M. (2024). Emergency trauma care: Pakistan’s preparedness amidst the growing impact of rapid climate change. International Journal of Surgery, 110(5), 2532-2534. https://doi.org/10.1097/JS9.0000000000001231

Neria, Y., Olfson, M., Gameroff, M. J., Wickramaratne, P., Gross, R., Pilowsky, D. J., ... & Weissman, M. M. (2008). The mental health consequences of disaster-related loss: findings from primary care one year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 71(4), 339-348. https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2008.71.4.339

Rehman, S. U., Wali, A., Tahir, M., & Ahmed, Z. (2012). Impacts of Natural Disasters on Community Health: A Study of Disaster Discourse in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Journal of Xi’an Shiyou University, Natural Science Edition, 18(10), 523-528.

Saif, A., & Ali, R. (2025). Glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Northern Pakistan: local interpretations & social impacts. Climate and Development, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2025.2568861

Stern, N. H. (2007). The economics of climate change: The Stern review. Cambridge University Press.

Thoman, R., Druckenmiller, M. L., & Moon, T. (2022). State of the climate in 2021. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc, 103(8), 257-S306. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0082.1

Tiwari, I., Tilstra, M., Campbell, S. M., Nielsen, C. C., Hodgins, S., Vargas, A. R. O., ... & Yamamoto, S. S. (2022). Climate change impacts on the health of South Asian children and women subpopulations-A scoping review. Heliyon, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10811

Waqar, A., Hussain, A., Mumtaz, S., Sammar, Q. U. A., Rashid, K., & Saleem, K. (2025). Psychological resilience in flood-affected communities of Pakistan: Coping strategies and mental health outcomes. The Critical Review of Social Sciences Studies, 3(1), 2606-2617. https://doi.org/10.59075/6t85c367

International Journal of Trends and Innovations in Business & Social Sciences

Downloads

Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Ali, A., Shahzad, S., Iqbal, S., Shahzad, S., Amin, F., Begum, N., & Khatoon, A. (2025). Association of Stressors Driven by Climate Change with Mental Health Problems among Adults in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. International Journal of Trends and Innovations in Business & Social Sciences, 3(4), 374–381. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18310175

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Trends and Innovations in Business & Social Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC