Assignment 1: Environmental Effects on Mental Health Worksheet

We reached data saturation after interviewing fifteen individuals and five focus groups when novel information was absent. Data repetition occurred reinforcing rather than enriching previously extracted information from participants and additional sampling did not yield new insights. Typically, 10 to 50 participants suffice to achieve data saturation in phenomenological studies.

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We collected data from fifteen individuals with specific knowledge and five groups. As we continued interviews, our research confirmed past findings, we were not finding new information as we interviewed more people. Typically, 10-50 participants provide enough information for our research. 

Within the framework of the definition of vulnerability provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it can be understood that a community’s sensitivity and ability to adapt to climate change are influenced by factors such as socioeconomic characteristics, location, perceptions of risks and sea level rise. In this light, poor urban coastal communities in Ghana can be described as vulnerable due to their high exposure to climate stressors, persistent socio-economic and infrastructural deficiencies, and low adaptive capacity

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As defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, vulnerability, reflects a communities ability to respond to risk, and is influenced by their wealth, locations, and beliefs. With this in mind, poor communities in coastal Ghana are very vulnerable to climate change risks due to poverty, coastal location and lack of infrastructure that could help them respond to these risks.

The results of the data analyses revealed that climate change events, particularly sea level rise, continue to negatively impact the lives of coastal communities in Ghana. The mental health impacts of climate change on these communities were found to be profound and multifaceted, reflecting the broader truth that environmental stressors exacerbate existing socio-economic and psychological vulnerabilities.

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The results of this research show that climate change, specially sea level rise, negatively impact coastal communities in Ghana. The mental health impacts of climate change on these communities are complex and can make existing issues in these communities, such as poverty, worse. 

Climate change impacts intersect with other socio-environmental processes to shape local development settings and vulnerability contexts. Coastal areas frequently suffer from rising sea levels. In poor urban coastal communities, climate change is seldom a single stressor. Multiple processes, including urbanisation, socio-economic disparities, and environmental degradation, compound the effects of climate change.

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Climate change combined with existing issues such as poverty can create more vulnerability. Sea level rise is often an issue in coastal areas and climate change is only one of the many stressors in these areas. Other issues such as growing populations, poverty, and environmental issues make climate change impacts worse. 

Future work should investigate how climate change impacts mental health differently in various populations, such as gender or age impacts. 

One aspect of the paper that was harder for me to understand was (2.5 Analysis). I am not familiar with the methodology that the research group used such as Thematic Network Analysis. I do not understand what the authors mean when they state “We used an audit trail to address dependability through a transparent and systematic approach to data collection and analysis, documenting each step of the research process, from the initial coding to the development of themes.”