As the drought worsens, farmers can’t sleep for fear of losing everything. A young man struggles with depression and faces a hopeless future. Indigenous people grieve over a devastated ecosystem. For all these people and more, climate change is taking a clear toll on mental health in all parts of the world.
Experts shared these and other examples at a recent meeting. summit organized by Connecting climate change mindsets The network brings together hundreds of scientists, doctors, community leaders and other experts from dozens of countries to study how climate change is negatively impacting local mental health over the past year. I’ve been doing it.
Mental illness is often seen as an individual problem, but experts have found that climate change is contributing to mental health problems everywhere.
Connecting Climate Minds Borneo Youth Ambassador Jonathan Yuditya Pratama said his indigenous community views nature as an extension of the divine. He said his community is experiencing a “deep sense of sadness and loss” after witnessing the devastation of climate change on his ancestral land.
“For us, mental health is not just an individual issue,” he said. “It’s about the collective well-being of our communities and the land itself. When nature suffers, we suffer too.”
Abnormal weather and air pollution are causing major damage
In the keynote speech, lancet countdown and members of the Connecting Climate Minds Advisory Committee explained the main ways climate change threatens mental health.
- Extreme heat is associated with increased self-harm and violence, as well as general negative emotions. It can also cause feelings of isolation when people feel confined to their relatively cool homes.
- Wildfires and extreme weather events can cause anxiety before and after the event, leading to PTSD and depression for survivors who witness the loss of loved ones and lives.
- Farmers, fishermen, and others whose livelihoods are tied to the environment experience chronic stress, worry, and depression over things beyond their control, such as extreme weather events, habitat loss, and drought. .
- Water scarcity increases stress for those responsible for finding and transporting water for domestic use. Water scarcity also makes it difficult for people to stay clean, which can lead to isolation, loneliness, and depression.
- Air pollution can keep children out of school, lead to social isolation, and over time lead to feelings of hopelessness about the future.
What’s more, people are experiencing the combined effects of multiple disasters, said Emma Laurence, who leads the Climate Cares Centre, a UK-based team that researches and supports mental health in the face of environmental crises. Ta. You can no longer recover psychologically before the next thing happens,” Laurence said.
And these growing risks are exacerbating social inequalities, said Alaa Abergawad, Connecting Climate Minds Youth Ambassador representing North Africa and West Asia. “[It’s] It manifests as anxiety, depression, and a deep sense of helplessness among marginalized people. ”
Who is most vulnerable to climate change and mental health issues?
many indigenous communities They are already facing intergenerational trauma and a deep sense of disconnection from their land and culture. Participants said repeated climate breakdowns can intensify feelings of sadness, stress and disillusionment with the future, leading to increased rates of addiction and suicide.
Farmers are also among the most vulnerable. Changes in seasonal norms, increased droughts and increased risk of severe weather are directly impacting their livelihoods.
Sasha Wright, head of research at the youth-led organization Forces of Nature and a member of Connecting Climate Minds’ Lived Experiences working group, says that in Kenya, many smallholder farmers Suffering from the decline, he said he has resorted to logging out of desperation. A tree that is turned into charcoal. Although they felt they had no other option, some said cutting down the trees made the whole situation worse. She spoke of high rates of depression, hopelessness, trauma and her pervasive feelings of “not knowing what to do.”
for For young people, climate change can also evoke feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. One of the Yucatan youths interviewed by Wright said his only options for life there were to emigrate or join the military.
“When I look at the drought, I see people from my community leaving school and joining the military,” said the person interviewed.
Marcy Nigel, a member of Connecting Climate Minds’ sub-Saharan Africa working group, said the heatwave was causing frequent school closures across the region, leaving young people feeling frustrated and hopeless.
“When it’s really hot and I’m too anxious to work, I can’t do anything because I feel anxious and the heat around me makes me so sad,” she said.
In addition to environmental impacts, intergenerational inequality and moral distress are also sources of anxiety for many young people. Britt Ray, director of the Special Initiative on Climate Change and Mental Health at Stanford University, says those in power are not doing enough and are relying entirely on their own generation to solve climate change. He said he has heard from many young people that there are.
“Without proper collaboration with elders and the stronger contingents among us, this reduction in responsibility could further exacerbate troubling climate anxiety and distress,” she said.
read: What baby boomers can do about climate change, according to Bill McKibben
What can you do to protect your mental health as the climate changes?
To address the rise in mental health issues, governments and public health leaders need to know exactly what impacts people are experiencing in their communities.
First step: Look at the experience everywhere.
“We will only succeed if we continue to connect and engage people from disparate fields, from neighborhoods to multilateral organizations,” said Pamela Collins, dean of mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. said. .
Other examples of ways forward include expanding health insurance to include the mental health impacts of climate change, to improving employment prospects for people whose jobs are affected by the effects of climate change. This includes everything from securing government policy support. Several participants also spoke about the importance of returning to the wisdom of ancestral knowledge to address climate change in general, including its effects on mental health.
Other concrete solutions offered by Connecting Climate Minds participants include:
- Public green space will increase. Professor Collins of Hopkins University said: study This highlights the need for more accessible green space in cities, and this move could have multiple positive outcomes, including for mental health. Forest bathing, or spending time in nature, reduces stress and anxiety, increases serotonin production, and improves mood regulation and overall mental health, all at low intensity and low cost. said Niaya Harper Igarashi, a member of Connecting Climate Minds Eastern Chapter. Southeast Asia Working Group.
- Focus on reducing inequality. Ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food, clean air and water, and sustainable energy sources is good for our climate and our communities.
- Talking helps. Mental health is a taboo topic in many communities. By talking more openly about these issues on a personal level, in social or spiritual settings, at the dinner table, or in the doctor’s office, individuals can combat stigma and contribute to a deeper understanding of these issues. I can.
- Meet people where they are. From using vocabulary that is meaningful to different communities to meeting people’s basic needs, solutions are most effective when they are tailored to what real people are actually experiencing. For example, Ray, the Stanford University expert, said meeting children where they are includes testing for climate change where many of them are every day: at school. Ta.
Climate chief Laurance, who helped organize the summit, said it was heartening to see solutions progressing around the world.
“This conversation showed very strongly that many solutions already exist,” she said. “And by learning from each other’s ways of knowing and doing, we can find ways that best suit our circumstances and ensure that those experiencing the worst climate impacts have a future where they don’t just survive, but thrive. can.”
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