Long-term impacts of bush/wildfires on mental health: preparing for the next fire

Abstract

Climate change is responsible for marked increases in the frequency and severity of bush/wildfires, resulting in more people exposed to such events with long-term subclinical psychiatric symptoms. This editorial calls for immediate action to implement comprehensive and novel approaches to treating these conditions and preventing them from developing into more severe disorders.

Keywords

• Climate change
• mental health
• wildfires
• subclinical symptoms
• treatment and prevention