Eco-anxiety and the psychological consequences of climate change

Image courtesy of Colin Waters

‘Whenever I am shopping, or doing some sort of activities that might have an environmental impact, I always get very anxious about my choice as if they would determine the future of the whole universe.’

Revealed Luce Biscardi, a final year International Relations student at Queen Mary University, after exiting the fourth shop empty-handed. But these negative emotions linked to the environment do not only affect Luce’s life, they are part of the everyday reality of most young people in our society.

Citizens report feelings of anxiety, grief, anger, and hopelessness as they watch the progression of climate change, and these negative emotions are now shaping their life choices, capturing the attention of researchers [1]. Recent studies have started to focus on the challenges that climate change poses to our mental health, uncovering adaptive behaviours including delaying or foregoing childbearing for fear of what the future holds [2]. Discussions around overpopulation and overconsumption are continuously perpetuated by the media, impacting the reproductive decision-making of families around the world by generating ethical concerns and exacerbating fear and anxiety [2]. 

Despite climate change being recognised as a health emergency, since the 26th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the impact of rising temperatures has been investigated only on the physical health of citizens, neglecting the psychological consequences of climate change. On December 3rd, this gap was tackled for the first time during the Health Day of COP28, placing mental health at the centre of the discussion.

Mental health issues have an economic cost for governments and can exacerbate existing inequalities. While talking about the need for consistent funding to support these problems, Professor Gesche Huebner, from the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources at UCL, said “it is a huge step forward for our society that mental health is on the agenda at COP this year”. 

Eco-anxiety and more:

The American Psychology Association (APA) defined eco-anxiety as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” [3]. With the proliferation of natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, accumulation of rubbish in the ocean, and heat waves, the internalisation of environmental problems is common and leaves the population to deal with related psychological consequences without knowing that they may suffer from eco-anxiety. 

Eco-anxiety can manifest in different ways, with the most common symptoms being stress, sleep disturbances, nervousness, guilt, and sadness which can turn into depression or post-traumatic stress syndrome [3]. 

Mental health issues such as depression are considered diagnosable illnesses, but the lack of a diagnosis is not sufficient to define a good mental health state, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Being in a good mental state means being able to cope with the stress of everyday life, achieve personal goals, and contribute to the community. 

Eco-anxiety and eco-emotions seem to affect mainly the young generation, parents, and vulnerable people. While it could be described as a normal response to the climate events we are experiencing, it can worsen mental health after experiencing the financial and emotional consequences of an environmental disaster.

Heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and lack of water supplies are extremely challenging situations posed by climate change [3]. Extreme temperatures have been linked with increased rates of suicide, violent crimes, reduced sleep quality, and poor ability to work both internationally and in the UK. The data shows how eco-anxiety can lead to a more vulnerable mental health state which increases the struggle to deal with environmental catastrophes and financial loss, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Image courtesy of Gesche Huebner

Professor Huebner is currently working on understanding if parents are more concerned about heatwaves and overheating than non-parents due to the susceptibilities of children to higher temperatures.  Huebner’s data found that the more concerned parents are about heatwaves, the more their daily use of air conditioning increases. This could have negative effects on their physical health while also boosting emissions and energy use, highlighting the need for a solution that addresses both climate change and eco-anxiety. 

The complexity behind eco-anxiety:

Some citizens react to eco-anxiety, stress, and grief by engaging in pro-environmental behaviours, but researchers highlight that the most vulnerable and impacted citizens are left unable to interact.

In a society where information is available on our phones, young adults, parents, and adolescents are constantly exposed to negative news about the future of the planet without any filter to misinformation. Furthermore, human-caused climate change, overconsumption, and overpopulation are often unethically presented to citizens. Professor Ilan Kelman, from the Institute of Risk and Disaster at UCL, highlights that “there are a lot of myths and misrepresentations regarding climate change impacts on the environment and on people”. This reveals a concerning trend to create even more eco-anxiety and grief around the impact of human-caused climate change. 

Professor Kelman invites citizens to not let misinformation win, and to use evidence-based science to reflect on how they can live happier and more fulfilled lives while respecting the environment. At the same time, the call to do better is also directed at institutions, scientists, and media to tackle misinformation and to avoid the spreading of a message that continuously blames the citizens for climate change. 

There is still hope:

Removing the root cause of eco-anxiety will undoubtedly resolve the mental health burden linked to climate change, but currently reaching net zero seems like an unreachable goal for most of the population. Professor Kelman commented, “there is no doubt that we are changing the climate rapidly and substantially, but there is still so much hope and inspiration out there”. 

Scientists and psychologists are now working together to build plans of action by integrating sustainable actions and mental health support. Professor Huebner highlights the need to work on co-benefits to feel and experience a real difference. She explains that we can implement more green spaces to improve quality of life,  offering calm areas where sustainable activities can be carried out. The co-benefit theory can be applied to a range of sustainable actions that should enrich our daily lives, addressing social inequalities.

Mental health awareness has been increasing in recent years. The WHO recently declared that countries should implement mental health support for their citizens via carefully planned programs, which require the allocation of funds and investments. The need for experts, researchers, and policymakers to work together, as well as the allocation of funds, was discussed during COP28. This demonstrates huge steps forward to help citizens receive and ask for help while facilitating research at the same time.  

There is still a long way to go before reaching a solution, but the inclusion of mental health will help to minimise the difficulties of climate action by providing a broader picture of this multidisciplinary phenomenon. This awareness marks the start of a new way to deal with climate change more appropriately, creating a society in which admitting that you are experiencing challenging eco-related emotions and receiving help is normal and possible. 

Professor Kelman concluded that “the key message is overcome. Overcome the grief and the anxiety by focusing on the hope and the inspiration, never neglecting, never denying human-caused climate change, but never letting it dominate all the other concerns”. While there is not a single and simple answer to solve the consequences of climate change, by joining pro-environmental behaviours and mental health support, we can create a strong global network to formulate policies to tackle climate change and build a better future for our society.