From Gold to Grief: The Psychological Toll of Climate Change on Mining Communities in Zimbabwe
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis article is important for environmental humanities and tackles a topic showing the intricate relationship between gold mining in Zimbabwe, climate change and mental health. It's both important for this precise region of the world and more widely for many regions in the world. The study shows the effects of climate change and environmental degradations on people’s mental health and how poor populations who have to work in gold mining are aware of its multiple impacts on the environment and on their own health. This analysis is made through articles, studies by various organizations and chiefly interviews of residents from Zimbabwe's gold mining areas and gold miners. They were asked how mining-related environmental damage affected the climate. They clearly said that mining operations often caused deforestation which in turn caused soil erosion and the contamination of water by chemicals having a deep impact on biodiversity. Their awareness of the impact mining has on the environment led them to show others that there are more sustainable mining techniques as they want to protect the future generations.
The article is important as it shows the relationship between poverty, gold mining, climate change , the devastation of environment and the impact on mental health; it allows the people concerned to give their point of view and on the other hand it mentions their wish to suggest sustainable methods to protect future generations.
The article is very clear and well written and deserves to be published.
Author Response
There is nothing that needs done here since comments are positive
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis study offers a timely and compelling exploration of the intersection between climate change and mental health within Zimbabwe’s gold mining communities. The authors adeptly highlight the socioecological vulnerabilities faced by these communities, emphasizing how environmental degradation and resource scarcity exacerbate anxiety, eco-grief, and feelings of helplessness. The qualitative methodology, including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, provides rich, context-specific insights into lived experiences, effectively capturing the voices of miners, community leaders, and healthcare professionals. The integration of environmental sustainability with mental health policy recommendations underscores the need for holistic, interdisciplinary solutions, a strength that aligns with global calls for climate-resilient development.Overall, this study makes a valuable contribution to climate-mental health discourse but would benefit from methodological diversification and deeper engagement with structural inequities to maximize its impact. I recommend it to be accepted for publication after major revision.
My suggestions for revisions are listed as below:
- Sample Limitations: the study’s reliance on a small, localized sample (e.g., 21.43–85.71% response rates for specific themes) may limit the generalizability of findings. Broader regional or cross-sectoral comparisons could strengthen external validity.
- Methodological Constraints: while qualitative insights are valuable, the absence of quantitative data (e.g., standardized mental health assessments or climate vulnerability metrics) weakens the ability to measure the magnitude of impacts or establish causal relationships.
- Underdeveloped Intersectional Analysis: Socioeconomic disparities and gender dynamics are mentioned but not thoroughly explored. For instance, the disproportionate burden on women or low-income households is noted but lacks detailed examination, missing an opportunity to address systemic inequities.
- Vague Policy Recommendations: Though the call for integrated policies is commendable, the proposed solutions (e.g., “community empowerment”) lack specificity. Concrete steps, such as funding mechanisms for mental health infrastructure or regulatory frameworks for sustainable mining, would enhance actionable outcomes.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
I attended to the reviewers comments attached
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis study examines the psychological impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on Zimbabwe’s gold mining communities. The qualitative approach effectively captures miners’ lived experiences, revealing themes such as climate anxiety, eco-grief, and socioeconomic barriers. This research is valuable and fits in with the scope of our journal. Some suggestions for improving the manuscript are listed as follow:
- There are too many references, and their citation order is very chaotic. The introduction (including Literature Review) is suggested to be shortened.
- Materials and Methods: a detailed participant table (number, demographics, roles) shall be provided. Meanwhile, the thematic analysis procedures shall be described.
- There is no chart in the entire text to visualize data representation cause to poor readability.
- A discussion part is suggested to be added. For example, contrast results with studies on artisanal mining communities in other regions.
- Check the 5th reference.
Author Response
Attended to comments
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe introduction of the manuscript provides a good starting point for discussing climate change and mental health, but it could benefit from a clearer context. The opening sentences should offer more detail about the research objectives and methodology right from the start. This will help set the stage for the reader and clarify how the study will contribute to the existing literature. Additionally, while the section emphasizes future research and suggestions, the results should be expanded to highlight the findings of the study in more detail. This will provide a better foundation for the discussion and conclusions that follow.
The Literature Review section can be shortened and integrated into the introduction. This would improve the manuscript’s structure and flow. Right now, it contains several concepts and definitions that may not be directly relevant to the manuscript’s primary focus. Instead of overexplaining these terms, I recommend emphasizing the contribution of this paper and highlighting gaps it addresses in the context of climate change and mental health. A more concise review of relevant literature will make the study’s contribution clearer and more impactful.
The Materials and Methods section should be rewritten in the past tense rather than the future tense (Line 179), as the study has already been conducted. Also, this section lacks important details such as the number of interviews conducted and how the qualitative data were analyzed. Providing a clear description of the number of interviews and the data analysis techniques used (e.g., thematic coding) would make this section more transparent and reproducible for future research.
The Results and Discussion should be separated into two distinct sections rather than being combined. The current organization may cause some confusion, as it mixes results with interpretation. Additionally, while the results are well-presented, I suggest adding figures and tables to visually support the data. This would make the findings clearer and more accessible. Furthermore, some of the textual responses from participants could be shortened, focusing on the most relevant quotes. Less important responses could be moved to the Supplementary Information.
The section titled "Future Concerns and Policy Reflections" is somewhat unclear. It lacks focus and doesn’t fully explain the policy implications of the findings. I recommend revisiting this section to better articulate specific policy recommendations for both local and global stakeholders. The discussion could benefit from a clearer outline of how governments, NGOs, and community leaders can act based on the study’s findings.
In the introduction, the references need to be properly ordered. For example, in Line 33, the references should be references 2 and 3, but currently, they are listed as 16 and 50. This should be corrected for clarity and to maintain proper citation formatting throughout the manuscript. Additionally, Lariba’s reference in Line 41 should be formatted according to the journal’s requirements. Ensuring that all citations are correctly formatted will improve the manuscript’s professionalism.
The conclusion does a good job of summarizing the findings, but it could be strengthened by including policy implications. While the manuscript emphasizes future research, it would be helpful to include specific recommendations for policymakers to address the mental health impacts of climate change, particularly in mining communities. Adding more concrete actions or policies would make the conclusion more actionable and impactful.
Author Response
Attended to comments
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsMost of the opinions received good responses. However, I still suggest reducing the number of references with insufficient relevance. Meanwhile, If you arrange the references in alphabetical order, the cite mode shall be XXX(20XX) rather then [x].
Author Response
I could not remove some references as l feel they add on to facts and removing them would make a discussion an opinion
Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsOnly one of the comments was followed, while the others were not consider at all... Therefore, I maintain my decision of rejection
Author Response
Which comment has not been addressed? I did address the issues you raised
