Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change - PubMed

Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change

Susan Clayton. J Anxiety Disord. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Climate change will affect psychological wellbeing. Substantial research has documented harmful impacts on physical health, mental health, and social relations from exposure to extreme weather events that are associated with climate change. Recently, attention has turned to the possible effects of climate change on mental health through emotional responses such as increased anxiety. This paper discusses the nature of climate anxiety and some evidence for its existence, and speculates about ways to address it. Although climate anxiety appears to be a real phenomenon that deserves clinical attention, it is important to distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive levels of anxiety. A focus on individual mental health should not distract attention from the societal response that is necessary to address climate change.

Keywords: Activism; Anxiety; Climate change; Coping; Health; Wellbeing.

Comment in

• Climate anxiety. When it's good to be worried.

  O'Brien AJ, Elders A. O'Brien AJ, et al. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2022 Jun;29(3):387-389. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12817. Epub 2022 Jan 10. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2022. PMID: 34967950 No abstract available.

Similar articles

• Investigating Associations Between Climate Change Anxiety and Children's Mental Health in Pakistan: Impacts and Priority Actions.

  Soomro S, Zhou D, Charan IA. Soomro S, et al. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2024 Nov 20;18:e277. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2024.267. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2024. PMID: 39562506

• Investigating associations between climate change anxiety and mental health impact on vulnerable populations: A qualitative analysis.

  Soomro S, Zhou D, Charan IA. Soomro S, et al. Afr J Reprod Health. 2024 Aug 31;28(8):108-121. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i8.11. Afr J Reprod Health. 2024. PMID: 39225510

• Mental health impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on mothers.

  Pardon MK, Dimmock J, Chande R, Kondracki A, Reddick B, Davis A, Athan A, Buoli M, Barkin JL. Pardon MK, et al. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2024;15(1):2296818. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2296818. Epub 2024 Jan 15. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2024. PMID: 38224060 Free PMC article.

• Climate Change and Mental Health.

  Clayton S. Clayton S. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2021 Mar;8(1):1-6. doi: 10.1007/s40572-020-00303-3. Epub 2021 Jan 2. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2021. PMID: 33389625 Review.

• The Effects of Climate Change on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Clinical Considerations.

  van Nieuwenhuizen A, Hudson K, Chen X, Hwong AR. van Nieuwenhuizen A, et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2021 Dec 7;23(12):88. doi: 10.1007/s11920-021-01296-y. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2021. PMID: 34874507 Review.

Cited by

• Suicide deaths associated with climate change-induced heat anomalies in Australia: a time series regression analysis.

  Hertzog L, Charlson F, Tschakert P, Morgan GG, Norman R, Pereira G, Hanigan IC. Hertzog L, et al. BMJ Ment Health. 2024 Jul 2;27(1):1-8. doi: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301131. BMJ Ment Health. 2024. PMID: 39122479 Free PMC article.

• A framework for application of consumer neuroscience in pro-environmental behavior change interventions.

  Leeuwis N, van Bommel T, Alimardani M. Leeuwis N, et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Sep 15;16:886600. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.886600. eCollection 2022. Front Hum Neurosci. 2022. PMID: 36188183 Free PMC article. Review.

• Anxiety in response to the climate and environmental crises: validation of the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale in Germany.

  Heinzel S, Tschorn M, Schulte-Hutner M, Schäfer F, Reese G, Pohle C, Peter F, Neuber M, Liu S, Keller J, Eichinger M, Bechtoldt M. Heinzel S, et al. Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 21;14:1239425. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1239425. eCollection 2023. Front Psychol. 2023. PMID: 37809319 Free PMC article.

• Psychometric Properties of the Climate Change Worry Scale.

  Stewart AE. Stewart AE. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 9;18(2):494. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020494. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021. PMID: 33435348 Free PMC article.

• Experiences of undergoing internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for climate change-related distress: a qualitative study.

  Lindhe N, Berg M, Andersson K, Andersson G. Lindhe N, et al. BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Nov 6;24(1):775. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-06212-1. BMC Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 39506664 Free PMC article.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • ClinicalKey
  • Elsevier Science

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Consumer Health Information
  • MedlinePlus Health Information