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objectives and principles may remain similar and constant in both the countries. However, good intervention practices in
one country may be adapted for the specific needs of another country’s disaster-affected populations (Satapathy, 2012).
6. Conclusions

Given the current situation affecting most of the countries across the globe, and increasing concerns over the association
between climate change and natural disasters, the linkages between natural disasters and mental health also becomes
increasingly important. Globally, the prevalence of mental health issues is extremely high even without considering the
added mental health consequences of a changing climate. While public awareness of the health implications of climate
change and natural disasters continues to grow, the topic of mental health is frequently absent from this discourse.
In some ways, this reflects the global discourse, where, in comparison to physical health, mental health, in general,
has been neglected. There is a substantial body of literature on the topic that allows for the identification of several
distinct and interrelated pathways by which disasters can adversely impact mental health, as well as several coping
and adaptation strategies. Most of these relationships are mediated through environmental or socioeconomic pathways,
and the outcomes most closely studied are PTSDs and, to a lesser degree, intimate partner violence and suicide. The
associations between disaster exposure and adverse mental health outcomes have had large socioeconomic impacts. The
mental health effects of climate change can be multifarious, direct or indirect, and short-term or long-term. Acute disaster
events can act through mechanisms similar to that of traumatic stress, leading to well-understood psychopathological
patterns.
This research is an initial step in bringing this important issue forward in the context of Sustainable Development Goals
and outlining that better programs/guidelines need to be designed for prevention, services, and psychological counseling
of mental health problems due to disasters. Longitudinal research will further help us understand the development of
disaster-related mental health problems and develop adequate mitigation strategies to confront the increasing numbers
of disaster-affected individuals with mental health problems. Moreover, an important step can also be to focus on social
capital mechanisms, which can intentionally be promoted with beneficial effects on disaster mental health outcomes.
Psychosocial interventions should be culturally applied to local survivors. In addition, the national mental health program
should be integrated or linked to other government programs and departments, such as health programs, disaster mitigation
programs, revenue department, and other allied programs so that the affected people can benefit and receive the services
immediately without delay and live a dignified life free of mental health issues.
Disclaimer

The views and geographic names or definitions expressed in this article solely reflect those of the authors and do not
reflect those of the organizations the authors are affiliated to nor the publisher nor those of the editorial office and the
editorial board of the Journal.

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the colleagues of Population Council for providing the necessary inputs for writing this paper.

Authors’ Contributions
Conceived, designed, and taken lead: Sangram Kishor Patel. Review of literature: Sangram Kishor Patel, Gopal Agrawal,
and Bincy Mathew. Contributed to tools/materials/references: Sangram Kishor Patel and Gopal Agrawal. Drafted,
reviewed, and wrote the manuscript: Sangram Kishor Patel, Gopal Agrawal, and Bincy Mathew.
Conflicts of Interest

No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.
Ethical Approval

Not applicable.
Availability of Supporting Data

Open data sources.

International Journal of Population Studies | 2020, Volume 6, Issue 1 93