Heat and Mental Health in Urban Slum Communities in Bangladesh

As recipients of the 2024 ECo Impact Award by the Earth Commons of Georgetown University, Dr. Shabab Wahid  and Dr. Emily Mendenhall will conduct a mixed methods study to examine how exposure to elevated temperature is connected to poor mental health outcomes in several ‘heat island’ slum communities in Bangladesh. Conducted in partnership with the SAJIDA Foundation in Bangladesh, this longitudinal study will conduct monthly surveys to screen for depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and suicide risk, while collecting 24-hour records of ambient room temperature on the day of the surveys, among a cohort of female slum residents. In addition, the study will use in-depth qualitative interviews with female participants and the primary male member of their household (e.g. husbands or fathers) during active heat waves, to explore the subjective lived experience of how heat affects the mind, body, mood, emotions, impulsivity and aggression, spousal and family conflict, social disruptions, and overall mental health and well-being. The proposed research would be the first to examine these issues in LMIC urban slum communities using a granular time series approach. Moreover, using a qualitative approach would also generate novel evidence on the real-time lived experience of heatwaves and mental health and other salient societal outcomes. Findings from the study will inform mental health considerations in climate change adaptation efforts in an ever-warming world.

tags: Shabab Wahid | Emily Mendenhall