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Paper short abstract:

Ghana's climate change policy fails to address the psychological impacts resulting from climate events. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating climate-related psychological conditions into the policy and the need for the provision of facilities to support vulnerable groups.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change significantly impacts lives and livelihoods. This adversely affects mental health by increasing rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Africa, women's vulnerability—due to unequal land access, limited financial resources, and traditional gender roles—heightens during extreme climate events like flooding and droughts, which negatively affect their productivity and psychological well-being. Unfortunately, Ghana's climate change policy does not adequately address the psychological impacts related to climate issues. This study focuses on Wungu and Yapei communities in the North East and Savannah regions of Ghana, exploring how climate events influence women's livelihoods and related psychological conditions. Using qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, 22 participants were purposively selected for interviews and 2 focus group discussions were conducted. The findings indicate that flooding and droughts impact women's livelihoods, with majority of them experiencing mental distress such as depression (i.e. inability to sleep and poor eating habits) and anxiety (i.e. nervousness) symptoms linked to climate-related losses. The study highlights the need to incorporate mental/ psychological health considerations into Ghana's climate change policy and enhance support services in vulnerable communities for addressing climate-induced psychological distress.

Keywords: Flooding, Droughts, Depression, Anxiety, Mental health, psychological distress