New Insights Into the Relationship Between Drought and Mental Health Emerging From the Australian Rural Mental Health Study.

ABSTRACT: While it is recognized that drought affects mental health, few population-based longitudinal studies quantify this relationship. In this study, we investigate the effects of drought on mental health in a rural population, and how these effects change with continued exposure to drought conditions. Using a panel dataset consisting of 6,519 observations from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study, we found a non-linear (inverted U-shape) relationship between drought exposure and mental health. Specifically, people experienced an increase of psychological distress for the first 2.5-3 years of drought, after which time this distress dissipates. These effects were maintained after controlling for demographic, social, and environmental factors. We also found that while psychological distress de

SUBMITTER: Luong TT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8440818 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature