Perceived heat and rainfall and their longitudinal associations with mental health among the 45+ population in 13 Thai Provinces. A research protocol

BackgroundClimate change has profound implications for mental health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where environmental exposures and healthcare access vary significantly across regions. Thailand, with its diverse climate zones and rapidly ageing population, provides an important context for exploring the relationship between environmental stressors and psychological well-being. MethodsWe will use monthly data from four waves the Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART) longitudinal study (2015, 2017, 2020, 2022), covering adults aged 45 and older across 13 provinces, and will combine them with province-linked climate data on monthly temperature, humidity, wind speed and rainfall. To accommodate individual heterogeneity while preserving meaningful regional climate contrasts we will use hybrid mixed-effects multilevel modelling with a within-between decomposition and will estimate the associations between deviations in climate exposure (within individuals over time and average exposure across provinces (between individuals). Climate exposure will include the average monthly heat index (derived from both daily temperatures, wind speed and humidity) as well as the average daily rainfall. The primary outcomes measured psychological distress, mental health and quality of life. Models will successively control for sociodemographic variables, household characteristics, and health status, and include random intercepts at individual level. Multiple imputations will be used to address attrition. Expected ResultsThe study aims to test whether higher-than-usual perceived heat relative to an individuals average are associated with higher psychological distress scores, while residing in hotter provinces overall is linked to worse mental health. We will specifically focus on the significance of the interaction between within- and between-person temperature, which would suggest contextual moderation of climate effects. ConclusionsOur findings will highlight the complex interplay between personal trajectories and regional climate experiences in shaping mental health.