Balancing progress and well-being: Assessing impacts on mental well-being from development initiatives in the Maldives

Background: Large development projects in the Maldives must undergo an environmental impact assessment and approval process. Method: We discuss a preliminary analysis of 1207 reports that assessed the extent to which environmental, social, health and mental well-being impacts were considered. Results: The assessments focused heavily on physical environmental impacts, and mental well-being was not considered in most assessments. Conclusion: We recommend the Maldives authorities develop a social impact assessment matrix that includes impacts on mental health. Implications for future assessment protocols are discussed.