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As we address the ongoing climate crisis, we must also deal with the growing mental health crisis it’s causing. (Photo: Kostas Exarhos via Pexels)
It is a sad fact that climate change is happening. It’s frightening. It’s demoralizing. Even knowing that countless solutions are available, with more emerging daily, can cause despair because of the petty pace at which we’re embracing them.
It’s bad enough that people are suffering ever-increasing impacts of climate disruption — from heat domes and wildfires to floods and droughts — but the toll on mental health has also reached crisis levels.
The Recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ReportThe first time that climate disruption has been assessed on mental health globally, this assessment was the first. Evidence suggests that both fast-paced climate events and slower ones, such as sea level rise, melting ice, and seasonal changes, lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Suicide, sadness, ecological grief and substance abuse are all contributing factors.
As with global heating itself, impacts are disproportionately harming the most vulnerable — people with limited wealth and resources, people living closer to the land, people already experiencing mental health challenges, and women, the elderly, youth and children. It also has profound impacts on scientists, writers, activists, and others involved in climate issues.
The Recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ReportThe first assessment of the growing effects of climate disruption on mental well-being worldwide has been made.
The obvious solution to the climate crisis is to provide the resources and solutions required. Although many impacts are locked in because of emissions we’ve already pumped into the atmosphere, knowing people everywhere were taking it seriously and working to resolve it as quickly as possible would restore hope and confidence to many.
But even if we were to stop burning fossil fuels and start employing the many available solutions immediately, we wouldn’t suddenly be living in a happy, unpolluted world.
As we address the ongoing climate crisis, we must also deal with the growing mental health crisis it’s causing.
Three Canadian scientists who contributed to the IPCC’s Vulnerability, adaptation, and impactsReports state that it is important to build and promote resilience.
Ashlee Cunsolo from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Breanne Aylward and Sherilee Harper from the University of Alberta point to the American Psychological Association’s Strategies to increase personal resilience, “including building belief in one’s own resilience, fostering optimism, cultivating coping strategies, finding sources of personal meaning, finding social support networks (family, friends, organized groups), fostering and upholding a connection to place and maintaining connections to one’s culture.”
Three Canadian scientists who contributed to the IPCC’s Vulnerability, adaptation, and impactsReports state that it is important to build and promote resilience.
They also write about the need for “climate-specific training in education and for physicians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and allied health professionals.” And they argue that “health systems and health authorities must take measures to assess and enhance health system readiness to deal with growing mental health needs and increase disaster planning and training, to further support individual and community resilience to climate change.”
In our 2017 book It’s Cool! Climate Crisis and What We Can DoWe only dedicated one page to the impact of climate change on mental wellbeing, partly because there was not much research on the topic. It’s good to see more study and resources going into the problem, but much more is needed.
Harper, Aylward, and Cunsolo are experts in climate and health and recommend that all levels of government prioritize mental health in all policies. Their recommendations include including individual and collective mental health in climate change adaptation efforts, and taking urgent steps in order to reduce greenhouse gas emission. This would lead to improved mental and physical health overall.
Health authorities and health systems must take steps to improve and assess the readiness of their health systems to handle growing mental health needs. They also need to increase disaster planning and training to support individual and community resilience to climate changes.
We need to learn how to take care of each other and ourselves. Part of that is recognizing that if you or people around you are feeling anxious, sad or depressed, you aren’t alone. Connecting with others can provide purpose and comfort, whether it’s with family, friends, support groups, social or sports organizations or the climate and environmental movement.
Taking measures to reduce our impact can make us feel we’re part of the solution. Exercise can improve your mental and physical health. And, as always, Get out in natureNumerous health benefits can be derived from improved physical fitness, lower anxiety and depression, as well as improved emotional states.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Use the employee and family assistance programs offered by your workplace. Talk to your family and friends. Start a peer support group — David Suzuki Foundation staff have held monthly meetings since 2016. Learn about the many mental health resources available in your area.
We’re all in this together. Take care.
