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Forget doomsday predictions for the planet’s future. Even younger people are already seeing a decline in their mental health.
The cause is important of a panic attack, or why you’re drowning in the depths of a depressive episode, isn’t always clear. But a growing body of research suggests that the chronic fear of environmental doom is taking a mental toll on many of us, particularly the young, who often see themselves as the ones who’ll be left to inherit—and battle—the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Psychologists believe that eco-anxiety was first described by the American Psychiatric Association in 2017. It is rooted in the egregious extent in which human greenhouse gas emissions are choking our planet. It can also be linked to a perception that climate change is a growing crisis. Eco-anxiety, a pseudo-scientific term, is not accepted by all experts and is not considered a diagnosable condition. It has yet to be included in the Medicinal Dictionary. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM), sometimes called the bible of psychiatry.
Yet, mental health professionals are reporting an increase in demand for therapy support due to the increasing number of emotions people are experiencing as a climate crisis worsens. These emotions include sadness, fear and anger, guilt, despair, depression, helplessness, helplessness, guilt, shame, and guilt. The result of any of the above can be sleeplessness, also known by the name insomnia.
Rhiannon Thompson, a postgraduate researcher at Imperial College London and author of an Imperial College London 2021 paper on the subject, says that the mental health effects of climate change are not as well studied as the physical health consequences.
The true extent of eco-anxiety and the complex psychological responses it causes is not known. However, just as the changing climate has an impact on the natural world, the increasing connection between psychological problems and weather woes is likely to increase with time, according to Susan Clayton, Ph.D., a professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies at the College of Wooster.
So how exactly is this environmentally-driven mental health crisis manifesting itself? Fear and anxiety—emotional states designed to mobilize us into action—have no outlet when it comes to a crisis as large a climate change. Without a way to resolve these worries, eco-anxiety can escalate into full-blown panic, according to the UK-based nonprofit Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA), or even evoke a freeze response—an involuntary reaction that occurs when the brain decides there is no way to address a threat, rendering a person literally immobile from fear.
Young and Afraid
While all ages are affected by the threat from climate catastrophe in different ways, rapid environmental degradation appears to have had a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of younger generations, especially those between 16 and 25 years old. “A lot of young people are experiencing eco-anxiety, talking about their concerns and fears for the future,” affirms Clayton.
In addition to the fact that they have a longer life expectancy, young adults are more aware of the severity of the crisis because of their internet access, according to Bonnie Schneider, meteorologist and author. Take the Heat: How climate change is affecting your mind, body, and spirit and what you can do about itA new book, “The Climate Crisis and the Health Effects on Human Health”, has just been published. The ability to view in real time, for example, a bushfire consuming approximately a hundred-thousand-square miles of Australia has made things easier. Says Schneider, “I think that access to those images is something other generations maybe didn’t experience firsthand so quickly.”
“People who are in their 50s, 60s, or 70s might think they’re going to be dead before the effects get really bad,” adds Clayton. “But I’m sure that the internet has something to do with it … access to information can increase worrying.”
In a climate change-focused poll of about 10,000 young people (aged 16 to 25) from 10 countries, including the U.S., three-quarters of respondents agreed with the statement “the future is frightening.” And four in 10 said they were hesitant to have children, expressing fear that governments are not doing enough to prevent climate catastrophe, according to results published in the journal Lancet Planetary HealthIn the latter part of 2021.
A Natural Response To Climate Stressors
Eco-anxiety is a mental health issue. First, you must understand that some anxiety is normal and healthy. “Anxiety is not a sign by itself of mental illness. It’s not pathological,” notes Clayton.
“It’s an understandable response to a situation that is frightening. People shouldn’t feel that anxiety about climate change is a sign of weakness—it’s just a sign that we are facing an important problem that we need to do something about.”
Researchers from Imperial College London found that mental health has never been given the same importance as the physical distress resulting from climate change in official discussions at Conference of Parties. The United Nations has held this annual global climate summit for almost three decades. It brings together countries to address the environment crisis. Research shows that depression and other psychological effects can be overcome. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)The 2021 Imperial Paper states that the impact of events like hurricanes and forest fires on lives is 40 times greater than the rate for those who suffer from physical trauma.
What’s more, additional studies show that there is a clear relationship between the effects from such natural disasters and psychological trauma. These devastations can lead to suicide, PTSD, and extreme distress for many years. No surprise, but additional consequences from climate-driven disasters—such as the loss of homes or jobs; limited access to water, food, or healthcare; or being displaced from a community—can also damage mental well-being, researchers note.
A weather event does not have to be severe to cause a negative psychological response. An increase in temperature can also pose a threat to mental health. The data on suicide rates are particularly stark, with research showing roughly a 1% increase in the number of global suicides for each 1°C temperature increase, once the temperature passes a threshold unique to each location. The mechanism for this startling statistic remains unclear: Researchers hypothesize it may have something to do with a deficit of the neurotransmitter serotonin—which is used to regulate the body’s temperature—and is implicated in suicide risk. A study published in the journal actually found that suicide risk is linked to a deficiency of serotonin. NatureIn 2018, it was estimated that climate change will accelerate at the current rate and lead to approximately 22,000 additional suicides in the U.S. and Mexico by 2050.
Heatwaves can also cause problems for people who have pre-existing physical illnesses such as diabetes. Heart kidney disordersMental disorders, such as schizophrenia, are also included. Memory impairment psychosis. Higher temperatures can also lead to poorer sleep qualityReduced productivity can have financial implications which can then lead to emotional distress.
There are also the mental health implications of poor physical and mental health. “Often, mental health conditions are associated with physical health. People with a mental illness, such as schizophrenia, may have a hard time getting around. Asthma and allergies are more likely to also have mental health conditions,” explains Thompson. “It’s not all direct—it’s a complex sort of causation. But there are lots of different ways that that mental health is involved.”
How do we cope?
Clayton says that some anxiety can be a sign that climate change is something to be aware of. But if the apocalyptic implications of the climate crisis are having an impact on a person’s mental health on a day-to-day basis, and their quality of life is disrupted, it’s important to seek help, says Clayton, noting that health professionals are developing ways to navigate the psychological issues that are cropping up now more than ever before.
(It is important to note that access is not always easy in all countries. This is because low-income countries are the most affected by climate change. The cycle repeats itself, as the climate impact increases—in turn heightening mental health difficulties—rendering vulnerable populations even more vulnerable.)
One therapeutic approach that’s been shown to decrease eco-anxiety, according to Clayton, and comes at zero cost, is using nature—while we still can, anyway—to nurture the ailing mind. The concept has been adopted by some countries. Canada allows doctors to prescribe a walk in a park. The Japanese have popularized the art of forest bathing—literally walking around trees—to help treat the body for things like High blood pressure, and psychological disorders like depression. “The mainstream medical establishment is beginning to recognize the positive health impacts of nature,” says Clayton.
The jury is still out regarding the need for pharmaceutical interventions. These include antidepressants and/or anxiety medications for ecoanxiety. Psychologists are currently prescribing support through talk therapy as a way to help people feel less anxious. The ultimate answer is to tackle the climate crisis itself—not attempt to medicate away our fears about it, according to the CPA. However, therapists can support individuals dealing with feelings of eco-anxiety by allowing “the expression and exploration of their emotions without collapsing under it or turning away.”
Knowledge may actually temper eco-anxiety
Clayton states that, although each person is unique, the main reason climate change is so bad for mental health is because of its roots in fear and loss control. “There’s a great deal of uncertainty about what might happen, when it will happen, and what it will look like,” she says. It’s important to be able to control the situation. And one way to do that can be to just get more accurate information—even if it’s negative, even if it’s frightening information, at least we feel a little bit more in control because we understand what to expect.”
Next, you will need to The facts about climate change and what scientists are currently predicting, taking personal action—such as getting involved in environmental projects or campaigning for policy change, for example—is another way to take back some control, hopefully leaving you feeling empowered, even as such efforts alleviate some of your free-floating fear.
“Those emotions can be used constructively as a as a motivator to try and make the world better,” says Thompson. “Because, arguably, there’s a rational basis to be a bit angry and a bit scared.”
Ultimately, interventions need to be on a systemic level rather than an individual one, per the CPA: “Decisive global action to reduce CO2 emissions is therefore the appropriate ‘treatment’ for eco-anxiety, not medication or interventions to eradicate the discomfort.”
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