Received: 2026-06-15  |  Accepted: 2026-09-04  |  Published: 2026-09-30

Title

Climate–Migration–Mental health nexus in Africa: Insights from digital narratives and policy analysis


Abstract

This paper explores the interlinkages among climate change, migration, and mental health in Africa through the lens of environmental justice. Whilst there has been increased recognition of the critical role of all three dimensions, they are often addressed separately in policy, and thus the complex interrelations between them remain underexplored. In an endeavour to fill this research gap, the current study utilises a discourse analysis framework to analyse narratives of environmental change in the African digital space and regional policy texts. The study reveals three core findings inter alia: that environmental anxiety, loss, uncertainty, and psychological distress are common elements of public discourses on the discussed issue; the mental dimension of environmental changes in Africa remains unconsidered in regional policies on climate and migration; and community-level approaches to psychosocial adaptation are not prioritised in current policies. This study contributes to existing multidisciplinary research efforts related to environmental justice, migration, and global mental health, with a dire need to realise regional and global Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 3, 10, and 13, and Africa's Agenda 2063.


Keywords

climate change, critical discourse analysis, digital narratives, migration, mental health


JEL classifications

Q54 , F22


URI

http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/281


DOI


Pages

251-265


Funding


This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors

Mutongoreni, Noah Ariel
University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa https://www.unisa.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Gwiza, Aaram
University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa https://www.unisa.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Journal title

Insights into Regional Development

Volume

8


Number

3


Issue date

September 2026


Issue DOI


ISSN

ISSN 2345-0282 (online)


Publisher

VšĮ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, Vilnius, Lithuania

Cited

Google Scholar

Article views & downloads

HTML views: 119  |  PDF downloads: 83

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