Mathea Melissa Lim, Auckland University

Mathea’s Research Topic: Weathering Together: A Study on Climate Change, Mental Health, and Resilience in Coastal Communities in the Philippines

My research examines the mental health impacts of slow-onset climate change events on coastal communities in the Philippines, which is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and a place where mental healthcare is significantly under-resourced. I adopt an analytical framework informed by social theories that challenge the medicalisation of distress and suffering, producing insights that shed light on the coping mechanisms and structural inequalities that shape community resilience. The findings of my research emphasise how the factors that impact mental health in a world of climate change are embedded in oppressive social structures, pointing to the importance of systems thinking and intersectional approaches to policy and pragmatic interventions. My keen interest in this topic arises from experiencing the destructive nature of tropical storms throughout my life and also witnessing its effects on fellow Filipinos I’ve encountered throughout my research endeavours and work in the non-profit sector.

I am truly grateful to DevNet and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for the Postgraduate Development Research Award, and to the Nicholas Tarling Charitable Trust for the Nicholas Tarling Southeast Asian Studies Masters Award – their generous funding made my fieldwork in the Philippines possible. I sincerely thank Dr Jesse Hession Grayman for his immense support as my supervisor, to Dr Renzo R. Guinto and Dr John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta for lending their expertise and building bridges in planetary health, and to contributors from the St. Luke’s Planetary and Global Health Program (St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial) for their assistance in the fieldwork.

Mathea Melissa Lim, Master of Arts in Development Studies, University of Auckland