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HOW CLIMATE CHANGE CAN AFFECT MENTAL HEALTH –

RESEARCH PAPER

Climate change is a worldwide concern that has become, over

the years, an extremely discussed topic due to the alarming
rate these changes are occurring. When we think about
climate change, we immediately think of the consequences
that, directly or indirectly, are threatening our planet and our
livelihood such as: heat waves, the rise of the ocean levels, the
melting of the ice caps and extreme weather events that are
becoming more and more frequent. And, although we as a
species are to blame for what could be our very own mass extinction, there are other
consequences of climate change besides the ones referred previously that deeply affects us,
specifically speaking, side effects for our health.

When talking about physical health, the rapidly changing climate is responsible for a spiking
increase on vector-borne and water and food-borne diseases, an increase in acute and chronic
respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies and heat-related and extreme weather-
related morbidity and mortality. The more indirect health implications include illnesses related
to water and food safety, under-nutrition, malignant melanoma from UV exposure and chronic
kidney disease from dehydration. These examples accurately demonstrate the gravity of the
situation at hand. However, there are a lot of unseen impacts that are often overlooked by
society and are increasingly worrying the medical community, notably, the mental health
consequences of climate change.

Globally, the prevalence of mental health issues is extremely high even without considering
the added mental health consequences of a changing climate. Mental health refers not just to
mental illness, mental problems, and mental disorders, but also includes states of mental
wellness, emotional resilience, and psychosocial wellbeing (broad term used to describe an
individual’s emotional health and overall functioning). In 2017, it was estimated that slightly
more that one in ten people globally lived with a mental health disorder (about 10,7%) and
these numbers are only approximated due to the inaccuracy and lack of data in under-
developed countries.

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We can look at the repercussions of our unstable climate on our mental health from two
facets: the direct and the indirect one. The direct one is the more obvious and is clearly related
to direct exposure to an extreme weather event or another situation originated in climate
change. These tragic events are the reason for many life-altering transformations such as
different agricultural conditions, weakened infrastructure, financial stress, and the possible
displacement of entire communities, just to name a few. It is not that far stretched to conclude
that all of these scenarios could leave marks on a person’s well-being and lead to mental
disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD),
anxiety, depression, grief, survivor guilt, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.

Reports argue that natural disasters have the most immediate impact on mental health “in the
form of trauma and shock”. We can look at data collected in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina in 2018, which shows the effects on the local populations impacted. Following the
traumatic incident, both suicides and thoughts of suicide doubled, 49 percent of residents
suffered from an anxiety or mood disorder, while one in six residents met the diagnostic
criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is concerning not only because PTSD is
an awful and often debilitating experience but also because its symptoms are linked with a
range of behavioural issues, including, the authors note, “higher levels of suicide, substance
abuse, depression, anxiety, violence, aggression, interpersonal difficulties, and job-related
difficulties”. Another aspect that has been pointed is that all of these situations lead to an
increase of violence, especially domestic abuse, given by the fact that its rates typically go up
after a natural disaster.

There are groups of people that are disproportionally affected by these conditions including
children and people with pre-existing psychological conditions. In a 2018 review of the
psychological effects of climate change on children, Australian researchers found that climate
change increases the risk of children developing PTSD, depression, anxiety, phobias, sleep
disorders, attachment disorders, and substance abuse. In addition, psychiatric medications can
interfere with a person’s ability to regulate heat and their awareness that their body
temperature is rising, which is associated with injury and death. People living with mental
illness are also more likely to live in poverty or to have co-occurring substance use disorders,
which will make it harder for them to cope or adapt to changes. Furthermore, those with
severe mental illness are more likely to be dependent upon service, infrastructure, and
medication supply chains that are often disrupted after disasters. With that being said, first
line responders, emergency workers and others involved with responding to extreme weather-
related disasters are also at increased risk for mental health consequences both in the short

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and long term. These individuals may be both a responder and a victim, required to provide
care for the public while managing the adverse impacts of a disaster for their own family and
themselves.

However, you do not require direct exposure to any extreme-weather event to feel the impact
of climate change on your well-being. We’re constantly exposed to scary and disturbing
headlines that showcase the fragile balance of our planet and how it has become more and
more endangered, and that alone can lead to an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and
anxiety. Hearing about these phenomena’s and not feeling like we can do anything to help or
that world leaders are not taking these issues seriously enough are common thoughts to have
these days. There is also a growing concern about the generations to come and how they will
be impacted by the lack of action in the present which translates in a general state of worry
about the future for oneself and possible children. We can even say that all of us must go
through a sort of mourning process due to the biodiversity and lives lost, as well the
irrevocable changes in landscape and life conditions.

All the reasons cited above lead to the use of a fairly new term, eco-anxiety, to describe a
general feeling of anxiety or distress linked to climate change. Is not an official medical
condition but, in extremes cases, can lead to a constant worried state about things that might
happen in the future because of climate change to the point where people can’t sleep, or focus
on other tasks. This can be especially common among people who work or campaign around
the issue of climate change on a regular basis, but you might also get the same problem from
simply reading a lot of news reports about our changing world. There are no statistics available
that contain the exact number of people that suffer from eco-anxiety, but the estimative is big
enough to concern the psychology and psychotherapy community.

It’s important to underline that exposure to climate-change related stories and reports are a
good thing, in the sense that we all need to know what’s going on with the world and what
changes need to be made. So, it’s perfectly normal for all of us to deal with eco-anxiety in
different ways and at different times, depending on our exposure to the problem at hand. In
fact, eco-anxiety can even have a positive impact because it motivates people to act and fight
for change. The key is to not let these feelings of anxiety and impotence overwhelm you, but
instead find a way to turn that into positive actions.

There are a number of strategies that we can use as examples but the ones that stand out, in
my opinion, are: honing resilience, fostering optimism, cultivating coping and self-regulation
skills, getting involved in meaningful practices or activities and having a premade plan for

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natural disasters or extreme weather conditions. But by far, the best way to combat these
feelings is to make environmentally friendly choices as well as encouraging others to do the
same. Community by community, one country at a time, it is still possible to get back what we
lost and make amends for our errors.

I strongly believe that both mental health and climate change are two of the major issues that
today’s society is currently facing. I hope I have managed to bring awareness to both, and how
the various aspects of our lives can be intertwined and affect our overall well-being. Let’s
continue to fight for change and make conscient choices that contribute to the health of our
planet, and our own.

WEBGRAFIA:

https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-018-0210-6

How Climate Change Affects Mental Health | Psychology Today,

Eco anxiety: how climate change affects mental health | OVO Energy

How climate change affects mental health » Yale Climate Connections

Climate Change and Mental Health (psychiatry.org)

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