A systematic review of intergenerational interventions at the intersection of climate change and mental health

While climate change and related hazards have been shown to negatively impact mental health and disrupt connection among generations, strong intergenerational relationships are protective of mental health. We identified and described current knowledge regarding intergenerational interventions at the intersection of climate change and mental health. We searched the Agricultural and Environmental Science Database, Embase, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to June 4, 2024, and Cochrane Central and Greenfile from database inception to June 5, 2024 for peer-reviewed articles reporting intergenerational interventions related to climate change and mental health. Articles, published in English, French, or Spanish, were included if they described an intergenerational intervention in the context of, or with components specific to, climate change and/or mental health. We extracted data related to intervention content, implementation, outcomes, monitoring and evaluation, and hypothesized mechanisms of action. We critically appraised articles, assessed intergenerational engagement (Depth of Intergenerational Engagement Scale), and conducted a narrative synthesis. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines (protocol registered with PROSPERO: CRD42024607841). Of the 17 articles included, 11 integrated intergenerational and climate change components into the intervention content. Mental health justifications were present in the article contexts, but not directly in the intervention methods. The quality of articles varied, with articles reporting thorough details regarding either intervention implementation or analytical approach, but rarely both. Likewise, the depths of intergenerational engagement varied with most interventions serving as short-term intergenerational meetings (mean = 5, SD = 1.28). No article comprehensively evaluated intervention implementation. Our findings reveal variability among articles, underscoring critical gaps in the evidence concerning intergenerational interventions related to climate change and mental health.