One Health has changed the way we think about health at the human, animal and environmental interface. Traditionally focused on infectious diseases, zoonoses and environmental exposures, One Health has brought global collaboration to prevent and manage complex public health challenges. As the framework evolves, a question is emerging in academic and scientific circles: can mental health be more deeply integrated into One Health?
Mental health is not a separate domain. According to the CDC, mental and behavioral disorders are influenced by environmental, occupational and biological factors. These factors, include but are not limited to, air and water quality, exposure to neurotoxins, animal-human interactions, all impact psychological well-being. UTMB's Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) focuses on diseases that disproportionately impact resource-limited regions - studies in these regions can help understand how environmental stressors impact animal and human mental health. Recent research studies have linked environmental stressors and increased rates of anxiety and depression in communities affected by climate change, pollution and infectious disease outbreaks. For example, people living in agricultural and/or industrial areas may be chronically exposed to pesticides or heavy metals. These substances are studied for their ecological or oncological effects but are now being studied for their neurotoxic effects on humans and wildlife. In birds and rodents, pesticide exposure has been linked to behavioral changes and altered stress responses.
These are potential models for human mental health outcomes under similar conditions.
Several universities and research groups are already working at this intersection. Animal mental health is a growing field of research especially in areas where human activity directly impacts animal welfare. Physical threats such as habitat loss, urbanization and environmental degradation are also behavioral and cognitive stressors for wildlife. Projects on the gut brain axis, stress physiology in wildlife and the mental health effects of climate driven displacement are showing promise to broaden the scope of One Health. These studies demonstrate how systems thinking can be a useful tool to approach complex and often underexplored mental health challenges
By including psychological and neurological health outcomes in research alongside infectious disease, environmental health and animal health, it's possible to predict health risks and develop more comprehensive interventions.
References:
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – Environmental Health and Mental Health https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/environmental-mental-health/index.html
- WHO (World Health Organization) – Mental Health and the Environment https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
- Rosenberg, K. V. et al. (2019) – Decline of the North American Avifauna Science, 366(6461), 120–124. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw1313
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Neurotoxicants and Children’s Brain Development https://www.unep.org/resources/report/neurotoxicants-and-childrens-brain-development
- Pindus, N. M. et al. (2021) – Mental Health Impacts of Disasters on Underserved Communities. Urban Institute. https://www.urban.org/research/publication/mental-health-impacts-disasters-underserved-communities
- University of Texas Medical Branch. Center for Tropical Diseases: Mission and Goals. UTMB, https://www.utmb.edu/ctd/about-us/mission-and-goals