Research Questions/Objectives:
This project intends to explore mental health professional’s confidence and competence in supporting individuals during and after extreme weather events, through a quantitative approach.
Brief Description of the Project: As extreme weather occurrences intensify globally, the pivotal role of mental health professionals in community resilience becomes increasingly evident. Despite this, these professionals typically lack specialised training in addressing environmental trauma, relying instead on their general skill set to offer support in these contexts. Consequently, as these events increase in intensity and frequency, doubts arise regarding whether these professionals possess the required skills to effectively provide such crucial support. This project aims to investigate the specific support and training necessary for mental health professionals to deliver services tailored to these circumstances.
Background and Significance of the Research Question to drought risk, vulnerability, preparedness, or resilience: Amid crises like droughts, or floods, communities face immense stress, trauma, and emotional upheaval. The need for tailored psychological support during environmental crisis is crucial for communities to bounce back after extreme weather events. This research explores the importance in uncovering the support and training necessary for mental health professionals to effectively aid communities affected by drought and other extreme weather events. Enhancing professionals’ preparedness and competence in addressing these unique challenges can significantly contribute to building stronger, more prepared and resilient communities in the face of environmental risks.
Academic and research experience relevant to the honours project: My journey began with a goal to become a journalist, driven by a desire to change people’s perceptions of the world. I pursued media and communication studies at Goldsmith College in the UK from 2007 to 2010. After securing a position as a radio project manager in a radio sales house, I quickly realised that financial considerations dominated decisions in the media industry, leading to a growing skepticism about its impact.
Seeking a change and driven by a natural passion for the environment, I flew to Australia and transitioned into a role as a scuba dive instructor, drawn to teaching and connecting with people. This love for the underwater world naturally evolved into a role as an underwater photographer, aligning with my media background. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it prompted a deeper reflection. I recognised that my profound enjoyment of interacting with and teaching people was rooted in a curiosity to understand and empathise with them. This realisation fuelled my decision to study psychology, leading to the completion of a Graduate Diploma of Psychology at JCU.
Finding immense fulfilment in the field, I decided to extend my studies and pursue a 4th year to obtain a Bachelor of Psychological Science. Currently volunteering at the Undergraduate Research Internship, I am drawn to the project ‘Mental Health Professionals Weathering Climate and Environmental Challenges’ because it perfectly aligns with my core interests—environmental concerns, understanding people’s psychology, and contributing to the community for a tangible impact.
This endeavour not only aligns seamlessly with the TNQ Drought Hub priorities, encompassing drought and climate change adaptation, but also reflects my dedication to addressing the unique psychological challenges posed by extreme weather events in the Tropical North Queensland region. I am eager to leverage my diverse background, academic rigour, and passion for community well-being to contribute meaningfully to building resilience and making a tangible impact on the priorities set forth by the TNQ Drought Hub.
Principal Supervisor’s skills and experience in relation to this project topic:
Dr Pardon completed her PhD in environmental psychology and has a Bachelors degree in Psychology. Dr Pardon’s doctoral work examined at-risk communities perceptions of and response to water-related threats. This work resulted in a series of tailored recommendations to aid at-risk communities navigating through climatic disasters, specifically droughts and floods. Additionally, Dr Pardon has conducted research investigating the mental health needs of at-risk populations confronting extreme weather events in Australia.
I chose to study environmental psychology because it perfectly aligns with two passions close to my heart: understanding human behaviour and cherishing the natural world. My journey, marked by experiences as a scuba dive instructor and underwater photographer, deepened my connection to the beauty of our underwater ecosystems. However, this connection stirred within me a profound desire to go beyond mere admiration and actively work towards preserving it.
Recognizing the severe impact that climate change and environmental degradation have on human health and well-being, I naturally gravitated towards exploring the role healthcare professionals play in addressing the health impacts of extreme weather events. I firmly believe in the pivotal role healthcare professionals play as trusted advocates and communicators in confronting climate-related health risks.
Understanding and addressing health professionals’ challenges in dealing with environmental and climate-related health risks is crucial for empowering them to confront pressing societal issues. By examining how these professionals navigate the psychological impacts of extreme weather events, I aim to provide insights that can enhance their ability to navigate climate-related challenges and promote community resilience.
My research will delve into health professionals’ perceptions, attitudes, and experiences related to environmental and climate-related factors. This endeavour not only aligns with my academic interests but also reflects my commitment to making tangible contributions towards addressing pressing global issues.
Future Career Goals:
In the future, I hope to combine my psychology degree with my passion for the environment to address environmental challenges and promote community resilience and well-being. I aspire to become an Environmental Psychology Researcher, focusing on the psychological aspects of climate change adaptation, environmental resilience, and community well-being. Alternatively, I am also interested in pursuing a career involving community education about environmental issues and the promotion of sustainable practices through behaviour change.
What Helps Health Professionals Feel Confident in Supporting People After Extreme Weather?
As extreme weather events like droughts, floods, bushfires, and heatwaves become more frequent and more intense, many people experience stress, anxiety, and trauma. Health professionals—including nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other healthcare providers—play a crucial role in helping people recover.
This study surveyed 52 practicing health professionals in Australia from various fields, including nursing, psychology, and occupational therapy, to understand what makes them feel confident in providing mental health support after extreme weather events.
The research focused on four key factors:
Key Findings
The most important factor in determining how confident a health professional feels is how competent they believe they are based on their professional training. In other words, it’s not just about whether they had training, but whether they feel prepared to apply what they learned.
Without a strong sense of competence, even well-trained health professionals may hesitate in high-pressure situations, potentially delaying crucial care. In contrast, those who develop confidence through hands-on experience are more likely to act decisively, provide effective support, and adapt to the unpredictable nature of environmental disasters.
For instance, a healthcare worker who has completed training on climate-related trauma may still struggle to intervene if they don’t feel fully capable of applying their skills in real-life emergencies. This highlights the urgent need for training programs that not only educate but also build a sense of practical preparedness.
The second biggest predictor of confidence was how much professionals believe in their own skills and ability to handle challenges in their work. Those who trust their problem-solving skills and professional expertise feel more capable of supporting people affected by extreme weather.
For example, a health professional who feels confident in their general skill set is more likely to believe they can effectively support patients—even if they haven’t received specific training on environmental trauma. Simply put, if someone has strong faith in their ability to adapt and figure things out, they are more likely to feel confident in their role.
This suggests that building self-confidence in professional abilities is just as important as formal training.
Surprisingly, having lived through a flood, bushfire, or heatwave did not significantly affect confidence in providing mental health support. Just because a health professional has experienced an extreme weather event does not mean they feel more prepared to help others going through the same thing.
For example, a nurse who has lived through a bushfire may understand the emotional impact but may not feel confident in providing mental health support to patients affected by similar events.
Receiving professional training on climate-related health impacts did not necessarily translate into greater confidence. This suggests that just attending a course or workshop may not be enough —training must also focus on building a sense of competence and practical application to be truly effective.
The study also tested whether strong confidence in professional abilities could make personal experience with extreme weather more useful in increasing preparedness. The results showed no significant effect—even highly confident professionals did not feel better prepared just because they had lived through an extreme weather event.
This finding highlights the importance of structured training, skill-building, and professional support, rather than relying on personal experience alone.
What This Means for Future Training
The study found that health professionals feel most confident helping people after extreme weather events when they not only feel well-prepared by their training but also trust in their own professional abilities. Simply receiving training or having personal experience with extreme weather does not necessarily make them feel ready to support people’s mental health.
This highlights the need for better training programs that not only provide information but also help health professionals build confidence in applying what they’ve learned. To improve preparedness, training should focus on both strengthening perceived competence and reinforcing belief in professional abilities.
The findings from this study point to several practical implications that may inform future training and workforce development for health professionals responding to the mental health impacts of extreme weather events.
Confidence among professionals appears to be more strongly associated with how prepared they feel after training, rather than whether they’ve simply completed it. This suggests that the goal of training programs should shift from information transmission to building a sense of applied competence. Training programs may be more effective when they not only deliver information but also focus on building a sense of preparedness.
Practical Implication: Training programs should include experiential components such as simulation, role-play, and scenario-based discussions that mirror the complexity and unpredictability of real-world disaster contexts. Opportunities to apply knowledge in psychologically safe environments—where feedback is constructive and confidence can be gradually built—may increase the likelihood that participants leave training feeling ready, not just informed. Integrating reflective practice or post-training follow-ups may also help professionals feel more capable of using their skills in real-world settings – thereby reinforcing their sense of preparedness.
Participants who trusted their ability to handle challenges at work were more likely to feel confident supporting people after extreme weather events. However, this form of self-efficacy is not fixed—it can be strengthened through professional experiences, encouragement, and supportive environment.
Practical Implication: Professional development strategies should include mechanisms for reinforcing occupational self-efficacy, especially for those in early career stages or new to climate-related mental health work. This could involve peer mentoring, reflective supervision models, or structured feedback systems that help professionals recognise and affirm their own skill progression. Supervisors and educators might also consider how their language, expectations, and interpersonal support either encourage or undermine the development of self-confidence in emerging practitioners.
Having personally experienced an extreme weather event did not appear to increase confidence in supporting others affected by similar events. While lived experience may offer personal insight, it should not be assumed to enhance professional readiness. Structured training that focuses on building applicable skills remains important, regardless of individual background.
Practical Implication: Training programs should provide clear pathways for professionals with lived experience to develop the specific clinical, communication, and trauma-informed skills necessary to translate that experience into safe, effective care. This might include trauma literacy, managing professional boundaries, and learning to distinguish between personal memory and clinical objectivity.
Since completing training alone was not closely linked with confidence, there is a need to rethink how training effectiveness is assessed. If the aim is to support a confident and capable workforce, then outcomes should reflect that goal.
Practical Implication: Training programs may benefit from being evaluated not just by attendance or content coverage, but by how effectively they help professionals feel prepared to act. Evaluation tools could include post-training self-assessments of perceived competence, focus group feedback on psychological readiness, or even longitudinal follow-up to see how training translates into practice. Organisations delivering training might also include peer observation or structured debriefing as a way to explore whether participants feel equipped to manage the kinds of trauma and uncertainty that climate-related disasters often involve.
The study also explored whether belief in one’s professional abilities would make personal experience more helpful in building confidence. The results showed no significant interaction between these two factors. This finding supports the idea that structured learning and professional development are essential, regardless of past experience or self-confidence. Efforts to improve preparedness should focus on skill-building rather than relying on personal exposure or general self-assurance. All professionals—regardless of how confident they feel or what they’ve personally experienced—may benefit from targeted support in this area.
Practical Implication: Preparedness strategies should not rely on assumptions about experience or perceived capability. Instead, training and supervision structures should provide equal access to skill development and support across different levels of experience and belief in one’s own professional abilities. Ensuring a consistent foundation of climate-related mental health competencies for all practitioners—regardless of background—may be a more equitable and reliable approach to workforce readiness. Training and supervision should be designed to meet a range of needs, rather than assuming that more experienced or confident practitioners require less support. Offering tiered or modular training options could allow professionals to access the level of depth they need, while ensuring a shared foundational understanding of climate-related mental health care across teams.
Although regional differences weren’t a primary focus of this study, the existing literature suggests that health professionals in rural and remote areas often face greater climate-related exposure, fewer training opportunities, and limited access to specialist services.
Practical Implication: Programs should consider designing content that is locally relevant, culturally informed, and practically deliverable in low-resource settings. This might involve developing mobile-accessible or offline-compatible modules, collaborating with local health organisations and Indigenous leaders, or offering in-person training via regional hubs. Tele-supervision or peer learning groups could also provide ongoing professional connection and confidence reinforcement in areas where isolation may otherwise erode perceived support. In addition to training access, services in rural and remote regions may benefit from mobile supervision, peer connection platforms, and place-based learning that aligns with community-specific challenges. This could help sustain confidence over time in high-pressure environments.
The study suggests that confidence may reflect perceived professional readiness and could serve as a valuable workforce indicator, particularly in the context of climate-related mental health care. While formal training plays a role, confidence is also shaped by supervision, organisational culture, and peer interactions.
Practical Implication: Organisations may consider incorporating confidence check-ins into regular supervision or wellbeing assessments, especially after extreme weather events. Strengths-based supervision, structured reflection, and peer discussion forums could help reinforce professional confidence over time. Confidence-focused support strategies may also be considered in broader workforce planning and resilience funding, recognising confidence as a signal of both preparedness and sustainability in clinical roles.
Conclusion
This research suggests that building a climate-ready health workforce requires more than just ticking the box on training. It means designing programs and support systems that help people feel genuinely capable and confident in their roles.
Feeling prepared—not just being trained—made the biggest difference in how professionals saw their ability to support others. These findings can help shape practical policies and programs that strengthen the capacity of Australia’s healthcare workforce—especially in regions most affected by climate extremes.
In short, if we want our health professionals to meet the mental health challenges brought on by climate disasters, we need to go beyond delivering training—we need to make it count. That means supporting practical skills, self-belief, and sustainable systems that are as strong and adaptable as the communities they serve.
