Experiences of extreme weather and mental health in climate-vulnerable communities: results from a large-scale survey of women living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

BMC Psychol. 2025 Sep 2;13(1):1000. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03319-2.

ABSTRACT

Climate change is a major global health threat with significant impacts on mental health, especially among vulnerable populations. Residents of informal settlements-characterized by inadequate infrastructure and housing-are particularly at risk due to their exposure to extreme weather and limited access to healthcare. This study investigates the association between experiences of extreme weather and mental health among women residing in two large informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Using cross-sectional survey data from 800 women, we found significant associations between anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) and women’s experiences of colder-than-usual temperatures (Anxiety β = 0.75, p = 0.03; Depression β = 0.82, p = 0.03) and droughts (Anxiety β = 3.22, p = 0.001; Depression β = 2.90, p = 0.01). This study demonstrates how self-reported experiences of extreme weather are associated with mental health challenges among marginalized populations, and highlights the value of experiential data in identifying climate-related vulnerabilities.

PMID:40898288 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-03319-2