The Impact of Climate-Related Hazards on Mental Health

Summary: Extreme weather and climate events can lead to negative human health outcomes. Although the initial outcomes from these natural hazards are typically obvious, the long lasting impacts can be more difficult to identify because of the diversity of potential health burdens during the recovery phase. Mental health outcomes are one of the more complex relationships with natural hazards. The goal of this presentation is to build the link between human health and extreme weather and climate events. The discussion will be focused on rural populations.

Intended Audience: farmers, ranchers, health and safety professionals, ag producers, agribusiness, rural mental health professionals

Objectives: At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to.....

- Describe the impact of climate on human health outcomes

- Identify populations at risk for climate disasters

- Better understand mechanisms of climate disasters

- Understand the secondary health impacts from climate disasters

- Explore the role that these issues play on mental health

Thank you to our generous program sponsor:

Jesse E. Bell, Ph.D

Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Health and Environment, Faculty Fellow, Daugherty Water For Food Global Institute, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Dr. Jesse E. Bell is the Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Health and Environment in the Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His research explores the relationships of climate and extreme weather on natural and human processes. He served as a lead author for the U.S. Global Change Research Program report “The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment” that was released by the White House in 2016. Before coming to UNMC, Dr. Bell developed a joint position between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In this role, he led and coordinated a variety of projects related to climate impacts on human health. He also served on the White House OSTP Pandemic Prediction and Forecast Working Group. Dr. Bell is a Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow and adjunct faculty for the Department of Environmental Health at Emory University. His Ph.D. is from the University of Oklahoma.