The Impact of Natural Disasters on Adult Mental Health: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses

This umbrella review systematically synthesises the evidence on the impact of natural disasters on adult mental health from existing systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses. Nine electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses published between 2008 and 2024. The Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the study. Of the 16 included systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, most of the time, they described the impact of natural disasters generally as a mix of any natural disaster, earthquakes, hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones, floods, wildfires, bushfires, and tsunamis on general mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, stress, and anxiety. The review found that adults exposed to natural disasters either directly or indirectly can experience the impact on their mental health for a long time. Older people, women, those with lower income, and African Americans exhibited greater vulnerability to mental health issues than others. Findings on the impact of each type of natural disaster on adult mental health from the included systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses were also described in detail. Findings of this review may inform the development of targeted policies and strategies by policymakers and health care professionals to support adults affected by natural disasters. Findings of this review should be interpreted considering its limitations. Several research gaps were identified, underscoring the need for further research.