A landmark meta-analysis has quantified the clinical effectiveness of mental health interventions following extreme weather events, revealing a standardised mean difference of -2.92 for post-traumatic stress disorder symptom reduction. This substantial effect size, drawn from analysis of 33 rigorously designed studies, represents one of the most robust evidence bases for trauma-focused interventions in climate-affected populations.
Beyond PTSD outcomes, the systematic review documented significant improvements in depression symptoms (SMD -1.00) and anxiety (SMD -0.71), indicating broad-spectrum mental health benefits. The analysis screened over 11,000 potentially relevant papers to identify the highest-quality evidence, ensuring methodological rigor and clinical applicability.
These quantitative findings provide clinicians and public health officials with concrete evidence supporting the prioritisation of mental health resources in disaster response and recovery protocols.
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