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Flooded Homes, Fractured Lives: Evidence from a Mental Health Needs Assessment in West Yorkshire

Activity: Talk or presentation typesOral presentation

Description

Presentation of findings from a mixed-methods mental health needs assessment examining the psychological impacts of flooding across West Yorkshire. The study combined survey data (n=438) using validated screening tools (PHQ-2, GAD-2, PCL-6) with qualitative interviews (n=12) to explore how flood exposure, particularly internal flooding to dwellings, shapes mental health outcomes, coping strategies and access to support. Findings highlight a substantial burden of distress, with outcomes patterned by level of exposure and concentrated among those experiencing direct flooding to the home. Despite relatively high awareness of support, formal help-seeking is extremely low, with a significant proportion of respondents experiencing clinically meaningful symptoms but not accessing services. The presentation emphasises the role of the home as a key site where environmental exposure translates into psychological impact and identifies gaps in how support systems align with lived experience. Implications for housing, resilience planning and place-based responses to climate-related risk were discussed.
Period20 Apr 2026
Event titleHousing Studies Association Annual Conference 2026: Housing Transformed: Climate, Health, and Technology in an Uncertain Future
Event typeConference
LocationSheffieldShow on map
Degree of RecognitionNational