Climate anxiety is more common than you think
The impacts of climate change are profound, affecting everything from extreme weather events to changing ecosystems, to volatility on farms and in food production.
But it is also debilitating to mental wellness. Experiencing psychological responses or emotions like ecogrief, climate anxiety, guilt, anger, hopelessness, fear and powerlessness is common when facing the realities of a changing climate.
We talk about eco-anxiety and eco-grief under the umbrella term “climate mental health,” and we have seen many incidents in the Canadian context. In fact, the issue is so prevalent that the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association has dedicated its annual Counselling and Psychotherapy month to the theme environMENTAL Health.
People have been undeniably affected by wildfires that rage across huge swaths of the country every summer. There are the weather extremes of flooding and droughts, impacting the food we eat, the places we live and the leisure activities we enjoy.
The impact of climate change on First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada has been substantial, profoundly affecting their physical and mental well-being. These communities are deeply connected to the land, which is central not only to their cultural practices, such as hunting and gathering, but also to their spiritual health and traditional healing.
Climate change disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable people on the socio-economic spectrum.
High food prices and taxes to pay for climate disasters hits them disproportionately, while they (along with everyone else) are forced to grapple with the ripple effects of reduced food security.
The emotional and psychological responses to climate change can be substantial to our well-being, our livelihoods and our interactions with nature and the environment.
They can also compound pre-existing mental-health challenges, such as anxiety and depression. Young people and future generations, as well as communities with the least resources to adapt, are most at risk.
A study conducted last year by Lakehead University professors Lindsay P. Galway and Ellen Field found 58 per cent of Canadians aged 16-25 reported feeling afraid, sad, anxious and powerless about climate change, and that it negatively affected their daily life and functioning.
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) indicated climate change impacts their overall mental health.
The challenge we face is a gap in knowledge and available mentalhealth resources to address these concerns.
One solution is capacity building. A Canada-wide survey of Canadian members of the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America found some therapists do not feel empowered or knowledgeable enough to help people effectively manage climate mental health, desire to feel less isolated in their work and seek a more systematic approach to working with climate distress.
Normalizing fear and anxiety related to climate change as an understandable and reasonable response is important, as is increasing access to therapy through education and training.
Building emotionally and psychologically resilient communities and individuals is crucial. This can involve modifying interventions to include approaches such as ecotherapy and climate psychology, and recognizing the interrelationships between psychology and systems of power, including social and economic inequality and an ongoing experience of felt oppression and colonization by many in society.
Climate mental health is a crucial issue that requires attention and action.
By building capacity, increasing access to climate therapy and building resilient communities and individuals, we can support those experiencing distressing climate emotions, and work toward a healthier and more sustainable future.
MALIHA IBRAHIM IS A PROFESSOR OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY AT YORKVILLE UNIVERSITY AND MEMBER OF THE CLIMATE PSYCHOLOGY ALLIANCE — NORTH AMERICA CANADA CHAPTER. TREVOR LEHMANN IS A CAREER COUNSELLOR AND FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE CLIMATE INFORMED COUNSELLING CHAPTER OF THE CANADIAN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION. NATALIE THOMAS IS A PROFESSOR IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH-HUMBER AND CONESTOGA COLLEGE.