Project summary
Climate change affects us all, but its impact manifests differently across communities. The negative impact of extreme ambient temperatures and climate-related disasters extends beyond livelihood and physical health into mental health.
Why climate change is also a mental health concern
- Extreme weather — floods, heatwaves, droughts, shifting temperature and rainfall patterns — causes loss of lives, homes, livelihood, and forced displacement.
- Women, children, the elderly, and marginalized groups face greater risk due to direct exposure and limited coping mechanisms.
- PTSD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, violence, and substance abuse are increasingly associated with exposure to such events.
- Chronic climate stressors — droughts, heatwaves — drive declining mental health, depression, and even suicidal behaviour.
Our response
N-SPRITE recognizes the complex, multifaceted problem of depression and suicidality among India's agrarian population. Extreme heat worsens the precarious lives of those dependent on agriculture by reducing work capacity and crop yield. TOLAKARI — Transformation Of Lived experience And Knowledge of heat, Agriculture and depression in India — investigates the link between heat and mental health in farming communities, with the aim of developing context-appropriate interventions and preventive mechanisms.
Focus
Farmers and farm workers affected by climate change.
Locations
Karnataka · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana.
Support
Supported by Wellcome Trust, UK.
Want to collaborate?
Partner with N‑SPRITE on TOLAKARI.
Research collaborations, implementation partnerships, or funder conversations — reach out and we'll route you to the right team.