| Aims

The HMI BaSe project aims to achieve 3 objectives:

• Explore the socio-environmental determinants and implications of mental health issues stemming from extreme temperatures. This endeavor will involve a deep understanding of local narratives, belief systems, and coping mechanisms in the face of such climatic conditions.
• Measure the impact of extreme temperatures on mothers’ mental health using validated psychological tools combined with sociological analysis. This approach will provide insight into the interplay between environmental stressors and their psychological manifestations within this specific group.
• Understand needs, co-develop the action theory and evaluate the prospective acceptability of an intervention that aim to mitigate the mental health effects of extreme temperatures. This step will include a medico-economic analysis to gauge the impact of these interventions on the burden of disease.

| Methods

Given the pronounced vulnerability of Bangladesh and Senegal to climate impacts, and our established relationships with local partners in these regions, these countries were strategically chosen to address the knowledge and action gap. We place a particular focus on the mental health of the most vulnerable groups – mothers and children. Rural areas were selected because they are most susceptible to climate change, facing both acute and sub-acute events. Our preliminary findings indicate that these communities are especially grappling with mental health issues, notably during the heat season, without the presence of adequate resources.

WP1: Environmental and Social Analysis
In rural areas of the southwestern Bangladesh (Shatkira district) and northern Senegal (Matam department), this work package aims to assess the impact of extreme temperatures (ET) on mental health. Data will be collected during the hottest months, focusing on regions most affected by climate-related diseases. Utilizing a multi-method approach, the HMI project will seek to understand the effects of ET on health, adaptation and resilience strategies, and the correlation between heat exposure and mental health outcomes (anxiety, suicidal ideation, stress). Validated psychometric tools will be applied to women to assess mental health disturbances, during heat season. Regression analyses will determine associations between temperature intensity and psychological outcomes.

WP2: Prevention Interventions
This work package emphasizes needs analyzing, co-developing, and evaluating prospective acceptability to address the mental health implications of ET, with primary focus on women and children. The planning process employs contextual guidance, supported by scientific evidence and experiential learning from WP1. Evaluation will measure the acceptability of these interventions. Diverse qualitative and quantitative methods will be applied to analyze data, including thematic analyses, and logistic regression.

WP3: Health Economics & Burden Analysis
This work package focuses on understanding the economic ramifications of climate-induced mental health issues. Through a health economics lens, the research will quantify direct and indirect costs related to climate-related mental health impacts. This includes evaluating costs such as hospitalizations and lost productivity, leveraging both primary and secondary data sources. Cost-effectiveness analyses will be undertaken to validate the findings.

| Perspectives

Our co-construction approach to co-create intervention models to mitigate psychological impacts is a first in the field of climate change and mental health. The evidence derived from this intervention theory will play a key role in implementing future interventions. The insights gained could also guide the co-construction of other mental health interventions in the Global South, in the face of climate change challenges.