title: Mental health issues from rising sea level in a remote coastal region of the Solomon Islands: current and future.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is little published research about mental health and climate change in the Pacific, including Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of sea-level rise globally. The aim of this research was to document mental health issues related to sea-level rise for people in East Malaita, Solomon Islands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in six low-lying villages in East Malaita, Solomon Islands. The researcher travelled to villages by dugout canoe. In addition to quantitative, closed-ended questions, open-ended questions with villagers explored individual and community responses to rising sea level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 60 people asked, 57 completed the questionnaire. Of these, 90% reported having seen a change in the weather patterns. Nearly all participants reported that sea-level rise is affecting them and their family and is causing fear and worry on a personal and community level. Four themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: experience of physical impacts of climate change; worry about the future; adaptation to climate change; government response needed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given predictions of ongoing sea-level rise in the Pacific it is essential that more research is conducted to further understand the human impact of climate change for small island states which will inform local, provincial and national-level mental health responses.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Instructor, Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Malaita, Solomon Islands.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Asugeni
authors.affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia david.maclaren@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacLaren
authors.affiliation: Program Manager Health Protection, Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: Director, Tropical Health Solutions, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Speare
mesh_terms: D057231:Climate Change / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008542:Melanesia; D008603:Mental Health / Q000639:trends*; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*
keywords: Solomon Islands; climate change; coastal communities; mental health; sea-level rise