The impact of climate change on our mental health
Cognitive and emotional barriers interfere with the way people understand the climate change crisis.
Mental health is threatened by the direct and indirect effects of climate change.
Psychologists can better prepare people for the challenges of climate change, starting with helping them avoid misinformation and misinformation.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its latest report describing the massive threat that climate change poses to human health and well-being. On the same day, the American Psychological Association (APA) released its own report detailing what psychologists can do in response to this threat.
Why do we need psychology?
Calls to rethink, reinvent and redesign the way we work as a society in the face of climate change are becoming more urgent. Many people realize that this requires a shift in the "hard infrastructure" of the means to produce and use energy.
The IPCC report describes the evidence that mental health and well-being are affected by climate change, and that these effects tend to have a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable. The APA report draws attention to the need to change our “soft infrastructure” so that we are better prepared to address the psychological dimensions of climate change, climate justice and climate policy.
Psychology helps us understand three important features of societal response.
First, cognitive and emotional barriers interfere with the way people perceive the crisis.
Second, human behavior needs to change in order to mitigate the amount of climate change that is occurring.
Third, mental health is threatened by the direct and indirect consequences of climate change, from extreme weather events and wildfires to climate-related displacement and concern about the extent of climate change.
How can psychology help address climate challenges?
More involvement of psychologists can better prepare us for the challenges of climate change. But how can psychology play a major role in managing the climate crisis:
Support people's understanding of climate science and help them avoid misinformation
As we've seen during the COVID-19 crisis, what people know and believe about vaccines, masks, and the spread of infectious diseases is just as important as what medical science tells us. Likewise, the challenge to addressing the climate crisis is to enhance public understanding of the root causes of climate change. This is partly due to the complexity of the science, but it is also due to the widespread misinformation and misinformation by both well-meaning and nefarious actors via social media.
Psychologists can help people understand climate science through carefully designed education and communication strategies.
They can also help people navigate the social media landscape to identify false and misleading information, understand what sources of information should be trusted and why, and identify those they may be deliberately trying to mislead.
What people think and believe about climate change and related initiatives will be key to successful mitigation and adaptation.
Help people adapt to new ways of living and working
Most experts agree that reducing the worst effects of our changing climate requires changes in how we live, work and play. This means moving away from some means of producing and using energy and adopting new ones, and this transition may be uncomfortable or even disruptive. For example, to reduce emissions from fossil fuels, experts suggest we take public forms of transportation more often, switch to electric vehicles, eat less meat, and work remotely when possible. Psychologists can contribute to designing new technology to make it more attractive, help people adapt to new technologies and practices for homes, transportation, industry, and other places, and highlight the benefits of new behaviors that will reduce global warming. gas emissions and enhance human well-being.
Assisting displaced persons in coping and building resilience.
Even if climate change can be slowed, humans must adapt to the changing environment. Lately, we've seen entire towns destroyed by wildfires, superstorms displacing coastal residents, disappearing jobs in some industries, and making life more difficult for those already struggling with pre-existing economic or housing inequality. Psychologists are needed to help those who are experiencing trauma, grief, economic hardship, and disruption due to climate change. Psychologists can also help build the resilience of individuals and communities by providing support services to those in need.
Helping people manage climate anxiety
Research has shown high levels of pessimism and anxiety around the world, which can be associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression as well as with difficulty planning ahead. Young people report that concerns about climate change affect life decisions such as where to live and whether to have children. Psychologists should offer supportive interventions that help people deal with these difficult fears without making them feel unworthy.
Support efforts to take social action
Research shows that one way to manage climate anxiety is to take action. Psychologists can empower individuals and enable them to take actions that have real impact such as community support and political action. Furthermore, psychologists can help support healthier, more climate-friendly ways of living and working, which can also be more socially and economically equitable. Psychologists can take action by applying their professional knowledge and experience in a fieldSeveral policy makers and activists take on these roles themselves.
Psychologists play a vital role in supporting us to be more psychologically prepared for the social and behavioral impact of climate change. The APA report serves as a guide to identifying those psychological dimensions that many people will encounter, and a call to arms for psychologists to be prepared to serve those needs.
