The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (ECEH) in Bonn, Germany is seeking examples of interventions to protect and promote mental health in the face of climate change in the WHO European Region. With this call, ECEH aims to map existing interventions related to different mental health outcomes (e.g. eco-anxiety, functional disorders), different manifestations of climate change (e.g. heat waves, loss of livelihood), undertaken at various levels (e.g. national, local), targeting different population groups (e.g. youth, frontline workers), and providing different levels of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) (e.g. mental health care, awareness building, community strengthening).
How will the collection of case studies be used?
The mapping of case studies will help to document activities already underway in the WHO European Region, to identify current gaps, and to promote further action. This information will feed into a planned WHO policy brief on mental health and climate change.
In addition, selected case studies may be featured as good practice examples on the WHO website, the European Climate and Health Observatory website, or during WHO led events. We will liaise with contributors of selected submissions to further elaborate on these interventions.
What should a case study look like?
We are looking for projects, programmes, partnerships, policies, and other initiatives which aim at protecting and promoting mental health in the face of climate change as overall goal or partial goal of a wider intervention. Case studies should fulfil the following criteria to be eligible for further analysis and possibly publication:
- Geographic region and scale: Must be located in the WHO European Region, at any level (sub-regional, national, subnational, or local level).
- Sector and organization: May come from any sector or organization (e.g., governmental/public organizations, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, organizations representing patients, youth, and other civil society groups); they are NOT restricted to the health sector.
- Objective: Must have a specific goal on climate change-related mental health outcomes in the planning and implementation phase.
- Interventions: May include, but are not limited to, activities related to clinical support, community support, policy development, advocacy, communication, or awareness raising.
How to submit a case study?
It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the case study template, which mostly consists of multiple-choice questions covering the basic details of each intervention. You will be required to provide a project summary (mandatory, max. 5000 characters); additional information on specific questions is optional. In a final step, you are asked to provide links to any reference documents (e.g. websites, publications) and can upload pictures, maps or graphics (optional).
The deadline for submissions of case study interventions is January 31, 2025. Only complete submissions can be considered for the mapping and case study selection.
Any questions can be directed to lawlorc@who.int. Please be prepared for follow up emails to provide further information.
We thank you for your interest in this call. Your input is highly valued and will support the work on mental health and climate change in the WHO European Region.
There are 28 questions in this survey.
