The mental health impacts of fuel poverty: a global scoping review

Objectives: Fuel poverty, defined in this study as a household’s inability to meet basic energy needs, presents a significant challenge. We aimed to map research on the impact of fuel poverty on mental health.

Methods: We searched peer review and grey literature repositories. Studies were considered eligible if they focused on both fuel poverty and mental health.

Results: 47 studies were included. 64% were published in the last 3 years. 43% focused on the UK sub-geography, with the next most common being Spain (17%) and China (13%). 55% had a quantitative study design. Conceptualisation and operationalisation of fuel poverty varied across studies and contexts. 58% focused on specific vulnerable populations. 46 studies reported evidence of a detrimental association between fuel poverty and mental health. We broadly summarise the role of fuel poverty on mental health under four headings: economic, social, behavioural and environmental.

Conclusion: We highlight a need for clear and explicit conceptualisation of fuel poverty, in conjunction with consideration of pathways connecting fuel poverty to mental health, to advance the field and facilitate research which can improve population health.