Publications

Daoist Ecological Ethics and Climate Adaptation: Rethinking Human Security and Community Resilience in Coastal Bangladesh

Hossain, M. A., & Khalil, M. I.

Journal of Daoist Studies. 19(S13), 577–587

Coastal southwestern Bangladesh — the districts of Bagerhat, Khulna, and Satkhira on the eastern fringe of the Sundarbans — is among the most climate-exposed inhabited deltas on earth, facing cyclonic storm surge, progressive salinization, and a shrinking dry-season freshwater supply, yet adaptation policy in the region remains techno-managerial. This study specifically asks whether Daoist ecological ethics — ziran, wu wei, yin-yang balance, and pu — can productively complement, rather than substitute for, quantitative climate-vulnerability assessment and inform a more balanced reading of human security. Using secondary district-level indicators from the Bangladesh Population and Housing Census, the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, and Bangladesh Meteorological Department records, we constructed a transparent, formula-based Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI-IPCC), then mapped five Daoist principles onto empirically observable proxies for interpretation. Satkhira recorded the highest composite vulnerability and lowest human security of the three districts (LVI-IPCC = 0.362; Overall Vulnerability Index = 0.681; Human Security Index = 0.319 of 1.00), driven by the highest groundwater salinity, lowest rainfall, and weakest adaptive capacity, despite holding the lowest monetary poverty rate (18.6%) of the three — a divergence read through the Daoist critique of monetary-only security metrics. Bagerhat and Khulna scored closely, both substantially lower on vulnerability. These findings indicate that infrastructure-first adaptation should be weighed against nature-based, tidal-process-consistent alternatives, and that monetary poverty indicators alone understate climate-linked human insecurity in this delta, with implications for adaptation investment priorities across southwest Bangladesh.

Rural depression in Bangladesh: A community-level assessment from Kushtia District

Hossain, M. A.

Journal of Primeasia, 6(1), 1–10

Abstract: Depression remains one of the world’s most pervasive yet least openly expressed mental health conditions, and this silence is even more pronounced in rural regions of low- and middle-income countries. In Bangladesh, much of the national discourse on mental health overlooks the lived realities of rural communities, where socioeconomic vulnerabilities, aging, and limited awareness heighten risks. This study, supported by a community-level assessment from Lahini village in the Kushtia District, aims to contextualize rural depression within broader global and national findings. A survey of 100 adults was administered the PHQ-9, followed by chi-square (χ²) analyses examining associations between depression severity and key demographic factors including age, gender, marital status, occupation, and income. The findings reveal that 36% of respondents experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms, aligning with global observations that rural populations face disproportionate mental health burdens. Age (p = 0.00016) and income (p = 0.00064) emerged as the strongest predictors of depressive severity, consistent with evidence that late-life vulnerability and economic instability significantly shape mental health outcomes. Notably, nearly 70% of individuals with the highest depression scores were aged 60–70, and more than half (57.14%) were widowed, suggesting the compounded impact of social isolation and economic precarity. In contrast, younger students reported the lowest depression levels. Alarmingly, only 19% of participants demonstrated any awareness of mental health conditions, underscoring a profound knowledge gap. Together, the study and local findings call for urgent psychosocial interventions, community-based education, and targeted support for elderly and economically disadvantaged populations in rural Bangladesh.

Eco-anxiety and mental health among university students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale

Hossain, M. A., Hossain, R., & Khalil, M. I.

The International Journal of Health Promotion and Education

Background: Bangladesh is one of the most climate change-vulnerable countries in the world, but to date, no valid quantitative study has measured eco-anxiety, the psychological distress that is unique to climate change fears, in the country using standard tools. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent and severity of eco-anxiety among the university students in Bangladesh and to explore the correlation between eco-anxiety and depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional survey design, targeting 520 university students who were randomly selected from four public universities in Dhaka and Chittagong, from January to March 2025. The Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) was used to assess eco-anxiety, which is a validated scale. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to measure mental health outcomes. A structured questionnaire was used for the collection of sociodemographic and climate exposure information. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression. Results: Of the 520 participants, 68.5% (n=356) scored clinically meaningful eco-anxiety (CCAS score ≥25). Mean CCAS score was 31.4 (SD=9.2). Eco-anxiety was significantly positively correlated with depression (r=0.52, p<0.001), anxiety (r=0.61, p<0.001), and stress (r=0.48, p<0.001). Females, coastal and flood-affected region students, and personally affected students had significantly higher eco-anxiety scores (p<0.05). After adjustment for age, gender and socioeconomic status, eco-anxiety was a significant independent predictor of anxiety symptoms (β=0.41, 95% CI: 0.28–0.54, p<0.001). Conclusion: Eco-anxiety is prevalent among university students from Bangladesh and is closely related to poor mental health. The findings are the first-ever validated data on eco-anxiety in Bangladesh and highlight the need to have a climate-informed mental health policy and targeted interventions for psychological distress in the climate-vulnerable population of South Asia.

Food insecurity, depressive symptoms, and problematic internet use among mothers in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh: A second-stage moderated mediation analysis

Tamanna, T., Hasan, S. M. R., Mim, N. J., Hossain, M. A., Hossain, R., Khalil, M. I., Ahasan, A., & Uddin, N.

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Abstract: Food insecurity and depressive symptoms are prevalent among mothers in urban informal settlements, yet whether these conditions extend to problematic internet use (PIU) and whether social support moderates this pathway remain unexamined. This study tested a second-stage moderated mediation model linking food insecurity, depressive symptoms, social support, and PIU among mothers in Dhaka's urban slums. This cross-sectional study sampled 923 mothers (15-49 years) across 50 slum clusters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, via two-stage stratified cluster sampling. Food insecurity, depressive symptoms, social support, and PIU were assessed with the FIES, PHQ-9, OSSS-3, and PIUQ-SF-6. A covariate-adjusted moderated mediation model was estimated using cluster-robust SEM with cluster bootstrap intervals. Food insecurity was associated with depressive symptoms (b = 0.459, p < .001), which were associated with PIU (b = 0.264, p < .001); food insecurity retained a direct association with PIU (b = 0.346, p < .001). Depressive symptoms partially mediated the food insecurity-PIU association (indirect b = 0.121, 95% CI [0.061, 0.183]). Social support moderated the depression-PIU association (b = -0.037, p = .001); the index of moderated mediation was significant (b = -0.017, 95% CI [-0.029, -0.006]), and conditional indirect effects were significant across all support levels. Food insecurity was associated with PIU directly and through depressive symptoms in a population previously absent from this literature. Social support did not directly associate with PIU but attenuated the depression-PIU pathway, extending stress-buffering and family-stress frameworks to a behavioral health outcome and suggesting integrated programming warrants prospective evaluation.

Urban heat, air pollution, and mental health symptoms among households in Khulna City, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Hossain, M. A., Khalil, M. I., Tisha, J. A., & Nisa, M. M. I.

Climate Interactions

Abstract: In rapidly urbanizing Bangladesh, air pollution, urban heat, and mental health symptoms are increasingly receiving attention as public health stressors, yet there is limited evidence at the household level. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between urban heat exposure, air pollution exposure, combined heat and air pollution exposure, physical symptoms burden, green/open space access, and mental health symptoms in the past year among households in Khulna City, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted among 400 households, using a structured questionnaire. Measures of heat exposure severity, air pollution severity, exposure to both heat and air pollution, physical symptom score, green/open space access, and recent mental health symptom score were assessed in the home. Mental health symptom score includes recent low interest, low mood, anxiety or tension, and sleep disturbance, and is a symptom-screening tool rather than a clinical diagnosis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, comparison of exposure groups, and ordinary least squares regression. The results revealed that 70.8% of households experienced extreme heat or heatwave exposure, 63.7% experienced severe air pollution exposure, and 48.0% experienced both extreme heat or heatwave exposure and severe air pollution exposure. The average scores on physical symptoms and mental health symptoms were 2.69 and 6.37, respectively. The Mental health symptom scores were higher across exposure groups, ranging from 1.50 in the no heat and no air pollution group to 9.26 in the air pollution and heat group. Regression results show that heat exposure severity (β = 1.197; p < 0.001), air pollution severity (β = 0.847; p < 0.001), combined exposure (β = 1.619; p < 0.001), and physical symptom score (β = 0.923; p < 0.001) were positively associated with mental health symptom burden, whereas green/open-space access was negatively associated (β = −0.766; p < 0.001). The results underscore the importance of incorporating mental health considerations into urban heat adaptation, air quality management, and green space planning in fast-growing cities.

When institutions feel distant: Perceived institutional neglect, political efficacy, and civic participation among climate-displaced people in Bangladesh

Hossain, M. A.

Disaster Prevention and Management

Abstract: Climate displacement is not merely about a material disturbance but about a political experience as it is framed by how displaced individuals perceive institutional attention and responsiveness and their own ability to participate in communal matters. The study looks at the correlation between perceived institutional neglect, internal and external political efficacy, and civic participation amid climate-displaced individuals in Bangladesh. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse a cross-sectional survey of 340 respondents. The structural model demonstrated substantial proportions of variance in internal political efficacy, external political efficacy, and civic participation. Perceived institutional neglect was negatively associated with both internal and external political efficacy and had a negative direct association with civic participation. The hypothesized positive direct effects of internal and external political efficacy on civic participation were not supported. Nonetheless, bootstrap mediation tests found significant negative indirect effects using both internal political efficacy (β = −0.185, 95% CI [−0.248, −0.124], p < 0.001) and external political efficacy (β = −0.199, 95% CI [−0.263, −0.138], p < 0.001). The results indicate that institutional neglect can decrease civic engagement directly, as well as indirectly by diminishing citizens' confidence in their political competencies and their belief that institutions are responsive.

Workplace Harassment Among Women in the Informal Sector: Understanding Inequality and Labor Insecurity

Chowdhury, S., Nury, M. A., Amin, S. M. A., Hossain, M. A., Nasrin, S., & Punom, S. N.

International Journal of Business and Society (IJBS)

Abstract: Workplace harassment remains a major but underexplored challenge among women informal workers in Bangladesh, where labor insecurity, weak institutional protection, and gender inequality intersect within precarious employment settings. This study examined the prevalence, forms, determinants, and consequences of workplace harassment among 290 women informal-sector workers engaged in domestic work, home-based labor, petty trade, and informal services. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, modified Poisson regression, and multivariable logistic regression models. The findings revealed that 90.7% of respondents experienced workplace harassment during the previous 12 months, with verbal abuse, intimidation, and economic coercion emerging as the most common forms. Harassment was significantly associated with migration status, absence of work-related benefits, job insecurity, workplace isolation, and weak collective support. Repeated harassment substantially increased the likelihood of emotional distress and income-related disruption, while knowledge of workplace rights significantly improved complaint-making behavior. Despite the high prevalence of harassment, reporting remained limited because of fear, economic dependence, and weak institutional mechanisms. The study concludes that workplace harassment among women informal workers is structurally linked to labor precarity and institutional exclusion rather than isolated workplace misconduct. Strengthening labor governance, expanding protection for informal workers, improving complaint accessibility, and enhancing rights-based awareness are essential for advancing decent work and gender justice in Bangladesh.

Governance of digitized social protection delivery and its association with health access and psychosocial well-being among old age and widow allowance beneficiaries in Shyamnagar Upazila, Satkhira District

Hossain, M. A., Mim, N. J., & Tamanna, T.

Manuscript in Preparation