BLACKOUTS AND ENERGY POVERTY AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PAKISTAN: SOLAR ENERGY AS A RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTION

Abstract

Pakistan has experienced persistent electricity load-shedding and rising energy costs over the past decade, exposing households to chronic energy insecurity. While the economic and infrastructural consequences of the electricity crisis are well documented, its mental health implications remain insufficiently synthesized. This review examines the relationship between electricity outages, energy insecurity, and psychological wellbeing, and evaluates rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as a potential mitigation strategy within the Pakistani context. Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence from public health, energy policy, environmental psychology, and disaster research, the review identifies consistent pathways linking energy instability to mental distress through sleep disruption, financial strain, uncertainty, reduced productivity, and household conflict. Evidence from global studies on power outages and energy poverty indicates associations with heightened stress, anxiety, and reduced subjective wellbeing. Pakistan’s rapid expansion of rooftop solar offers a decentralized response to unreliable grid supply and may buffer households against outage-related stressors by enhancing energy autonomy and routine stability. However, unequal access to solar technologies, regulatory volatility, and affordability constraints risk widening psychosocial disparities between energy-secure and energy-insecure populations. The review highlights the need for empirical research directly assessing mental health outcomes associated with load-shedding and solar adoption in Pakistan. It concludes that energy reliability should be recognized as a structural determinant of mental health and that equitable renewable energy policies may function as public mental health interventions in resource-constrained settings.