Affiliation:
1. Manipal University Jaipur, India
Abstract
Myriad studies have reported that natural disasters have adverse effect of climate change. Dismally, the mental health impacts of such disasters are often overlooked, and the long-term psychological effects on survivors are often understudied. This chapter aims to explore the mental health impact of some deadliest natural disasters in India, caused by climate change. The disasters from 1943 to 2018 were examined chronologically for this purpose. The great Bengal famine/drought, Super Cyclone Odisha, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and floods in Bihar, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, and Kerala are among the devastating disasters. Researchers also analyzed the data from the National Mental Health Survey of India (2022), which estimates the prevalence of mental health disorders in India. This investigation contributes to a holistic understanding of the enduring mental health legacy by synthesizing knowledge from the fields of psychology, fostering a more informed and compassionate approach to supporting affected communities on their journey toward healing.