Review finds gaps in intergenerational climate and mental health interventions

Researchers searched seven databases for peer-reviewed articles published in English, French or Spanish, covering records from database inception through June 2024. Eligible studies described intergenerational interventions in the context of climate change, mental health, or both. The review included 17 articles and used a narrative synthesis, critical appraisal and the Depth of Intergenerational Engagement Scale; its protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024607841).

Eleven articles incorporated both intergenerational and climate-change components into intervention content. Although mental health was discussed as a rationale in article contexts, it was not directly addressed in intervention methods. Intergenerational engagement varied; most interventions involved short-term meetings, with a mean depth score of 5 (SD 1.28). Reporting quality also varied: articles tended to provide detail on either implementation or analytical methods, but rarely both.

No article comprehensively evaluated intervention implementation. The review therefore identifies gaps in the evidence rather than establishing the effectiveness of these interventions for mental health or climate-related outcomes. Its findings are limited by the small and heterogeneous set of included articles and the variable quality of reporting.