IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jworld/v6y2025i2p48-d1631242.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Machine Learning Perspective on the Climatic and Socioeconomic Determinants of Mental Health in Southeast Asia

Author

Listed:
  • Teerachai Amnuaylojaroen

    (School of Energy and Environment, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand
    Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Research Unit, School of Energy and Environment, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand)

  • Nichapa Parasin

    (School of Allied Health Science, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand)

Abstract

The growing burden of mental health disorders necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their environmental and socioeconomic determinants. This study employs machine learning to analyze the relationship between mental health mortality and key socioeconomic and climatic factors across Southeast Asia. Using a Random Forest model (R 2 = 0.95), we identify the population size and the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) as the strongest predictors of mental health mortality, while climate indices—the proportion of warm nights (TN90p) and hot days (TX90p)—exhibit weaker direct effects (importance < 0.1), but significant indirect effects through socioeconomic pathways. The regional disparities highlight Indonesia as the most climate-sensitive country, whereas the Philippines shows weaker climate–mortality correlations, suggesting that its socioeconomic resilience and healthcare infrastructure can mitigate climate impacts. These findings underscore the need for integrated climate–mental health strategies, particularly for vulnerable regions experiencing extreme temperatures and socioeconomic stressors.

Suggested Citation

  • Teerachai Amnuaylojaroen & Nichapa Parasin, 2025. "A Machine Learning Perspective on the Climatic and Socioeconomic Determinants of Mental Health in Southeast Asia," World, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-27, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:6:y:2025:i:2:p:48-:d:1631242
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/6/2/48/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/6/2/48/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshua Graff Zivin & Matthew Neidell, 2014. "Temperature and the Allocation of Time: Implications for Climate Change," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(1), pages 1-26.
    2. Helen Berry & Kathryn Bowen & Tord Kjellstrom, 2010. "Climate change and mental health: a causal pathways framework," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(2), pages 123-132, April.
    3. Katie Hayes & Peter Berry & Kristie L. Ebi, 2019. "Factors Influencing the Mental Health Consequences of Climate Change in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Teerachai Amnuaylojaroen & Jirarat Inkom & Radshadaporn Janta & Vanisa Surapipith, 2020. "Long Range Transport of Southeast Asian PM2.5 Pollution to Northern Thailand during High Biomass Burning Episodes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-14, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jingbin He & Xinru Ma, 2021. "Extreme Temperatures and Firm-Level Stock Returns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-22, February.
    2. Mullins, Jamie T. & White, Corey, 2019. "Temperature and mental health: Evidence from the spectrum of mental health outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Lé Mathias, 2022. "The adaptation of economies to climate change: lessons from the economic research [L’adaptation des économies au changement climatique : les enseignements tirés de la recherche économique]," Bulletin de la Banque de France, Banque de France, issue 239.
    4. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
    5. Martin Henseler & Ingmar Schumacher, 2019. "The impact of weather on economic growth and its production factors," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 417-433, June.
    6. Xi Chen & Chih Ming Tan & Xiaobo Zhang & Xin Zhang, 2020. "The effects of prenatal exposure to temperature extremes on birth outcomes: the case of China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(4), pages 1263-1302, October.
    7. Raissa Sorgho & Isabel Mank & Moubassira Kagoné & Aurélia Souares & Ina Danquah & Rainer Sauerborn, 2020. "“We Will Always Ask Ourselves the Question of How to Feed the Family”: Subsistence Farmers’ Perceptions on Adaptation to Climate Change in Burkina Faso," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-25, October.
    8. Julia Woodhall-Melnik & Caitlin Grogan, 2019. "Perceptions of Mental Health and Wellbeing Following Residential Displacement and Damage from the 2018 St. John River Flood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    9. S. Brent Jackson & Kathryn T. Stevenson & Lincoln R. Larson & M. Nils Peterson & Erin Seekamp, 2021. "Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, March.
    10. Nicholas Apergis & Alexandros Gabrielsen & Lee Smales, 2016. "(Unusual) weather and stock returns—I am not in the mood for mood: further evidence from international markets," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 30(1), pages 63-94, February.
    11. Marion Leroutier & Hélène Ollivier, 2025. "The Cost of Air Pollution for Workers and Firms," Working Papers hal-05009744, HAL.
    12. Jianbo Jin & Zhihu Xu & Ru Cao & Yuxin Wang & Qiang Zeng & Xiaochuan Pan & Jing Huang & Guoxing Li, 2023. "Long-Term Apparent Temperature, Extreme Temperature Exposure, and Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.
    13. Zhang, Shaohui & Guo, Qinxin & Smyth, Russell & Yao, Yao, 2022. "Extreme temperatures and residential electricity consumption: Evidence from Chinese households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    14. Jonathan Colmer, 2013. "Climate Variability, Child Labour and Schooling: Evidence on the Intensive and Extensive Margin," GRI Working Papers 132, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    15. Wang, Meng & Zhang, Shiying, 2024. "High temperatures and traffic accident crimes: Evidence from more than 470,000 offenses in China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    16. Chadi, Adrian & Hetschko, Clemens, 2025. "Income or leisure? On the hidden benefits of (un)employment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    17. Kalkuhl, Matthias & Wenz, Leonie, 2020. "The impact of climate conditions on economic production. Evidence from a global panel of regions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    18. Holly Vins & Jesse Bell & Shubhayu Saha & Jeremy J. Hess, 2015. "The Mental Health Outcomes of Drought: A Systematic Review and Causal Process Diagram," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-25, October.
    19. Joshua Graff Zivin & Solomon M. Hsiang & Matthew Neidell, 2018. "Temperature and Human Capital in the Short and Long Run," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(1), pages 77-105.
    20. Nkabinde, B & Lekhanya, L.M & Dorasamy, N., 2024. "Rural-Urban Migration Challenges in South Africa: Case of Kwazulu-Natal (SA)," Journal of Economic and Social Development, Clinical Journals Press, vol. 11(02), pages 01-17, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:6:y:2025:i:2:p:48-:d:1631242. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.