# Investigating associations and mediating effects between climate and mental health and violence in informal settlements in Kenya

> **NIH NIH R21** · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · 2022 · $189,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Climate change and related weather events and environmental changes are expected to have a profound impact
on psychological well-being and mental health. Residents of informal settlements in lower- and middle-income
countries (LMICs) are especially vulnerable to the effects of changes in climate because these settlements are
often located in ecologically sensitive areas, including valleys, floodplains, wetlands, industrial sites, and waste
dumps—sites that are more susceptible to extreme weather events (EWEs) like floods, landslides, droughts, and
heatwaves. Residents also face serious barriers to adaptation or reducing the effects of climate change, including
poverty, political and social marginalization, and exclusion from formal services and legal land tenure. Though
there is limited data, estimates also suggest that depressive disorder, suicide attempts, alcohol use, psychosocial
stress, and interpersonal violence are likely higher among residents of informal settlements than in other
populations in LMICs. Climate change is expected to exacerbate these mental health and violence challenges
in the coming years. There is, however, a lack of empirical research exploring associations and potential
mediating effects between climate and mental health- and violence-related outcomes in informal settlements.
The objective of this Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21), therefore, is to investigate
associations and potential mediators between climate and mental health- and violence-related outcomes in these
communities. This objective will be achieved through the following aims: 1) Household-level surveys will be
collected monthly for 18 months from a probability sample of 800 women in Kibera and Mathare informal
settlements in Nairobi. Surveys will include measures of mental health, well-being, substance use, and
interpersonal violence. 2) Daily temperature and precipitation data from near Mathare and Kibera will be provided
by the Kenya Meteorological Department and used to determine prevalence and frequency of EWEs in these
settlements. This data will be compared with residents’ reports of localized EWEs including floods, landslides
and heatwaves to help develop working definitions and meteorological thresholds of EWEs in informal
settlements that align with residents’ experiences. 3) Meteorological data will be combined with participants’
responses from the monthly surveys in Aim 1 and surveys taken approximately 72 hours after EWEs in informal
settlements. The combined dataset will be analyzed using time-series analysis to test associations and potential
mediators between climate and mental health, well-being, substance use, and interpersonal violence in informal
settlements. The long-term goal of this study is to provide helpful information about important climate thresholds
related to mental health and interpersonal violence in informal settlements and to uncover key mediating factors
underlying connections...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10452316
- **Project number:** 1R21MH127356-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
- **Principal Investigator:** Samantha C. Winter
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $189,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10452316

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10452316, Investigating associations and mediating effects between climate and mental health and violence in informal settlements in Kenya (1R21MH127356-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10452316. Licensed CC0.

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