Abstract

Emerging global issues like climate change, human mobility, and COVID-19 have increasingly attracted the attention of scholars in recent decades. This chapter examines these critical topics, which, despite their varied nature, pose significant threats to psychological health. We review recent literature on these issues, with a specific emphasis on the Latin American context, where intersectional vulnerabilities may amplify their psychological effects. Specifically, we discuss how climate change can exacerbate mental health issues through direct effects of extreme weather events as well as indirectly by disrupting social determinants of health. Similarly, we describe how human mobility, especially climate-induced migration, may introduce unique psychological challenges shaped by the socioeconomic and structural inequalities of the region. We also reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted people’s mental health and how limited healthcare infrastructure and access influenced the pandemic experience in Latin America. Finally, we provide two brief case studies: a description of an environmental education intervention aimed at reducing climate anxiety in the austral region of Chile, and a reflection on the COVID-19 risk communication strategies employed by the same country during the pandemic. We propose future research directions to better understand and address the mental health implications of these pressing emerging challenges.