Australians are three times more worried about climate change than COVID. A mental health crisis is looming
3 years, 5 months ago

Australians are three times more worried about climate change than COVID. A mental health crisis is looming

ABC  

As we write this article, the Delta strain of COVID-19 is reminding the world the pandemic is far from over, with millions of Australians in lockdown and infection rates outpacing a global vaccination effort. During the pandemic's first wave in 2020, we collected nationwide data from 5,483 adults across Australia on how climate change affects their mental health. Our research also provides insights into what people are doing to manage their mental health in the face of the impending threat of climate change. Rather than seeking professional mental health support such as counsellors or psychologists, many Australians said they were self-prescribing their own remedies, such as being in natural environments and taking positive climate action, where possible. Of great concern is that people are not seeking professional mental health care to cope with climate change concern.

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History of this topic

The upside of climate pessimism
1 month, 1 week ago

The upside of climate pessimism

Salon  

Hope is often said to be the best medicine, essential to getting people through difficult times. “The people that I know who are really seriously working on these issues and who are engaging in climate change activism,” Bloodhart said, stressing that this is her personal observation, “they have a little bit of hope, but they mostly are pretty pessimistic and …

Climate change ‘exacerbating’ mental health crisis
2 months ago

Climate change ‘exacerbating’ mental health crisis

The Telegraph  

Climate change is fuelling Britain’s mental health crisis, according to the UK Health Security Agency, amid a crunch in the jobs market with millions of working-age adults off sick. Extreme weather including heatwaves and floods is directly harming people’s health, while the sustained threat of a worsening climate is increasing “psychological distress” on the population, the agency warned. It is …

Climate Change's Silent Toll: Mental Health in India Neglected
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate Change's Silent Toll: Mental Health in India Neglected

Live Mint  

The article highlights the significant impact of climate change on mental health in India, with a focus on the underreported and often neglected economic cost of mental health. It emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to address this issue, including investments in mental health resilience, healthcare infrastructure, and climate adaptation strategies. The article stresses the importance of integrating mental …

A new global survey shows that people everywhere are concerned about climate change
6 months, 2 weeks ago

A new global survey shows that people everywhere are concerned about climate change

NPR  

A new global survey shows that people everywhere are concerned about climate change A worldwide poll from the United Nations of more than 75,000 people shows a vast majority want governments to do more to address climate change. Two-thirds of respondents said climate change is affecting big decisions like where people live or work, and even more said they want …

The unseen effects of climate change on mental health
8 months ago

The unseen effects of climate change on mental health

The Hindu  

The mercury is soaring across India, with many places reporting unusually high temperature readings. A dubious distinction A study published in 2023 in the journal GeoHealth reported that an extreme heat event in the Canadian province of British Columbia in 2021 affected people with schizophrenia more than those with kidney and heart disease. The study’s authors, of the British Columbia …

Climate change is causing mental health crisis for workers, report claims
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate change is causing mental health crisis for workers, report claims

The Telegraph  

Climate change is driving a crisis in workers’ mental health, a new global report has claimed. “Workers may feel distress related to financial and workload problems and from loss of hope for the future of their community,” the ILO said in its latest report into threats facing workers. “Numerous health conditions in workers have been linked to climate change, including …

Australians fear climate disasters will force them away from place they live, new survey finds
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Australians fear climate disasters will force them away from place they live, new survey finds

ABC  

In short: One in three Australians are worried extreme weather will force them to permanently leave their homes, a survey by the Climate Council has found. One in three Australians are worried extreme weather will force them to permanently leave their homes, a survey by the Climate Council has found. Rising insurance premiums to the point of unaffordability were also …

Therapists warn of a new wave of anxiety fueled by climate change
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Therapists warn of a new wave of anxiety fueled by climate change

Hindustan Times  

When psychotherapist Caroline Hickman was asked to help a child overcome a fear of dogs, she introduced them to her Labradoodle, Murphy. “You build the skills, build the competence, build the confidence, and then they’re less scared of dogs generally.” Climate anxiety is a different beast, Hickman says. Among the close to 300 people who responded to a Bloomberg Green …

Include indigenous communities in mental health and climate change discourse: Experts
1 year, 3 months ago

Include indigenous communities in mental health and climate change discourse: Experts

The Hindu  

Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, wildfires, pandemics. “Both the mental health discourse and the climate change discourse are Eurocentric, reflecting very privileged narratives that then promote individual solutions,” said Raj Mariwala, director at Mariwala Health Initiative. “We need to critically engage with and question some of the existing structures, look at how to do psychosocial justice, and question neoliberalism and …

Many young people are devastated by climate change. But from despair springs action, study suggests
1 year, 4 months ago

Many young people are devastated by climate change. But from despair springs action, study suggests

Salon  

When speaking with Salon in 2021, twenty-six-year-old climate activist Kidus Girma expressed anxiety about the future of the planet — but, at the same time, some hope that he might be able to play a tiny part in making things better. "Even in the absence of direct climate-related experiences, distress about climate change is affecting young people's aspirations." They added, …

Is climate change affecting global health?
2 years, 1 month ago

Is climate change affecting global health?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Even as countries are meeting at the ongoing Climate Change Conference in Egypt, a recent report by Lancet, has traced in detail the intimate link between changing weather events and their impact on the health of people. The 2022 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Health at the Mercy of Fossil Fuels points out that …

Report shows growing number of Australians believe climate change effects already being felt
2 years, 2 months ago

Report shows growing number of Australians believe climate change effects already being felt

ABC  

Over the past 15 years, Australians have weathered myriad climate-related disasters including catastrophic bushfires, devastating droughts, and now destructive floods. Key points: A report shows a majority of Australians are concerned climate change will result in droughts and flooding that will affect food supply The number of those "very concerned" about climate change continues to increase year on year A …

Australia is unprepared for the health consequences of climate change: report
2 years, 2 months ago

Australia is unprepared for the health consequences of climate change: report

ABC  

Australia is unprepared for the health burden of climate change, and our lack of a national climate change and health adaptation plan has put Australians' lives at risk, according to a report. Key points: Almost all aspects of human health are declining due to climate change, according to reports Concurrent crises, such as geopolitical conflict and disease outbreaks, exacerbate climate …

Covid and climate change pose similar behavioural challenges
2 years, 4 months ago

Covid and climate change pose similar behavioural challenges

Live Mint  

Climate-change activists should take some lessons from the mismanagement and miscommunication around the covid pandemic. Climate action faces a hurdle that hasn’t come up in the pandemic: a powerful fossil fuel lobby that’s been clever and influential, seeding public doubts about the science behind climate change. With climate change, the problem of emissions is so big people don’t know where …

Climate Change: Yes, Heatwaves Can Worsen Your Mental Health
2 years, 5 months ago

Climate Change: Yes, Heatwaves Can Worsen Your Mental Health

The Quint  

Heatwaves worsen mental health conditions Heatwaves have a huge impact on our physical and mental health. Humidity and temperature – both of which are changing as a result of human-induced climate change – have been causally linked to a rise in manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. Fuzzy thinking, aggressive behaviour Heat can also affect the mental health and …

Report: Fires, heat waves cause ‘climate anxiety’ in youth
2 years, 6 months ago

Report: Fires, heat waves cause ‘climate anxiety’ in youth

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon health officials say the impacts of climate change, including more devastating wildfires, heat waves, drought and poor air quality, are fueling “climate anxiety” among young people. In a briefing on Tuesday hosted by the Oregon Health Authority, three young people spoke about how climate change has affected their mental health. In its report, the agency says …

Anxiety, distress, suicidal behaviour: Climate change poses serious risk to mental health
2 years, 7 months ago

Anxiety, distress, suicidal behaviour: Climate change poses serious risk to mental health

India Today  

The World Health Organisation has said that climate change poses serious risks to mental health and well-being and urged countries to include mental health support in their climate crisis response. The findings released in the global health body's policy brief, echo findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published in February which stated that fast-rising climate change poses a …

COVID-19 has been a dirty word this election campaign — but health experts say its impact isn't going away
2 years, 7 months ago

COVID-19 has been a dirty word this election campaign — but health experts say its impact isn't going away

ABC  

In the shadow of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, you might have thought health would be one of the key issues dominating the campaign trail. With strict lockdowns still fresh in the minds of many Australians, public health experts say it's like COVID-19 is a dirty word that politicians are fearful of addressing. Despite new records, COVID has dropped off many Australians' …

Climate change has made old measures predicting weather events in Australia 'essentially worthless'
2 years, 7 months ago

Climate change has made old measures predicting weather events in Australia 'essentially worthless'

ABC  

When Jo Groves bought her property in Lismore, she worked hard to make it her own and thought she would grow old in it. Key points: Statistical measures like the "one-in-100-year flood" level are used by authorities in Australia to determine safe building standards Experts say climate change has made those measures "essentially worthless" They say accurate climate change projections …

Australian election: Where is climate change on the agenda?
2 years, 7 months ago

Australian election: Where is climate change on the agenda?

Al Jazeera  

The majority of Australians want action on climate change, but you would not know that from the campaign for Saturday’s election. “Despite decades of warnings from scientists about climate change, Australia is unprepared for the supercharged weather that it is now driving,” said Hilary Bambrick, co-author of Australia’s annual assessment of progress on climate adaptation. “Australia is at the forefront …

Australians are googling climate change much more than during the last federal election
2 years, 8 months ago

Australians are googling climate change much more than during the last federal election

ABC  

Discussion of climate policy may be conspicuously absent this federal election campaign, but Google search data suggests the warming of the planet is weighing on voters' minds — at least more so than in 2019. Key points: Big data can be a window into collective concerns and a "barometer of social awareness" Nationally, search interest in climate change has soared …

Coping with mental health in times of global warming
2 years, 8 months ago

Coping with mental health in times of global warming

Deccan Chronicle  

After long summer days, when a spell of rain soothes the dusty earth, who doesn’t feel a sense of joy? Dialogues on climate change, global warming and natural calamities due to the vagaries of weather have taken centre-stage in recent times after scientists and environmentalists worldwide have indicated that a gradual rise in the Earth’s temperature can spell doom for …

Extreme Climate Conditions Can Cause Mental Health Issues, Says IPCC Report
2 years, 10 months ago

Extreme Climate Conditions Can Cause Mental Health Issues, Says IPCC Report

ABP News  

New Delhi: The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on climate change released on Monday said that extreme climate conditions can cause mental health issues like anxiety, depression, acute traumatic stress and sleep problems ranging from mild to severe which may even require hospitalisation. "Depending on these background and contextual factors, similar climatic events may result in a range …

Climate crisis taking growing toll on mental health, landmark UN report warns
2 years, 10 months ago

Climate crisis taking growing toll on mental health, landmark UN report warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The climate crisis is adversely affecting mental health as extreme weather events cause trauma and …

UN’s landmark IPCC report for first time will include impacts of climate crisis on mental health
2 years, 10 months ago

UN’s landmark IPCC report for first time will include impacts of climate crisis on mental health

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Don’t expect a flowery valentine to the planet: instead an activist group predicted “a nightmare painted in the dry …

Greenpiece: The mind matters in climate crisis
3 years ago

Greenpiece: The mind matters in climate crisis

Hindustan Times  

When Amphan struck eastern India, our collective feeling was that, as a country, we had really improved our disaster management. For those who lose everything, mental health is one crisis they often face next. As we see terrifying images of climate nightmares like starving polar bears and forest fires, we are often scarred deeper than we realise. Three levels of …

Climate InFact: Can climate change affect your health?
3 years, 2 months ago

Climate InFact: Can climate change affect your health?

The Independent  

What are the health effects of climate change? From extreme heat to worsening hunger and water shortages, accelerating climate change will have a far reaching impact on health, experts have said. The WHO estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause around 250, 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. Andy …

Climate change report from IPCC a 'code red for humanity', United Nations chief warns
3 years, 5 months ago

Climate change report from IPCC a 'code red for humanity', United Nations chief warns

ABC  

The Earth could be just 10 years from heating by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius — a threshold beyond which even more serious and frequent fires, droughts, floods and cyclones are expected to wreak havoc on humanity. Key points: Global warming would likely increase to 1.5C by about 2030, the IPCC report says, based on our current trajectory The effects …

Health experts warn young people are at centre of impending mental health crisis following COVID
3 years, 6 months ago

Health experts warn young people are at centre of impending mental health crisis following COVID

ABC  

June has been a tumultuous month after a very tough year for Bridget Moore, who has just been discharged from a treatment facility for the eating disorder anorexia. Key points: Data from the Australian Association of Psychologists revealed 83 per cent of psychologists surveyed reported an increase in their clients' levels of anxiety, depression and distress during lockdowns Professor Patrick …

When COVID-19 hit, many were struck by the unpredictability of pandemic life. But rural Australians were prepared
3 years, 7 months ago

When COVID-19 hit, many were struck by the unpredictability of pandemic life. But rural Australians were prepared

ABC  

Standing on her porch in the middle of south-west Queensland, Lynelle Urquhart jokes that she was an expert in social distancing before it became fashionable. Key points: Australia Talks asked people about their happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic Australia Talks asked people about their happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic Farmers say the lockdown experience was unique in rural areas Farmers …

COVID-19 has taught us that what Australians really want is to be told what to do
3 years, 7 months ago

COVID-19 has taught us that what Australians really want is to be told what to do

ABC  

All these years, we've thought ourselves a larrikin nation, ill at ease with authority figures. And 70 per cent of Australians agree that "sometimes people's freedoms need to be restricted to keep Australians safe" – a whopping 16 percentage point consolidation of this national view since the last survey 18 months ago. And the taste of commute-free life was sweet; …

How COVID-19 Will Change Mental Health Care In The Future
3 years, 10 months ago

How COVID-19 Will Change Mental Health Care In The Future

Huff Post  

Alexandra Bowman for HuffPost Bent Not Broken is a look back on the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has disrupted our mental health, plus advice on how to manage our well-being moving forward. Alfiee Breland-Noble, a psychologist based in Washington, D.C., and founder of the mental health nonprofit the AAKOMA Project, said she believes we’ll see …

Coronavirus: How can society thrive post-pandemic?
4 years, 1 month ago

Coronavirus: How can society thrive post-pandemic?

BBC  

Coronavirus: How can society thrive post-pandemic? This implies that the pandemic will have long-lasting negative impacts on people’s mental health. But with an estimated half-million more people likely to experience mental health problems as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic, we urgently need to change the status quo and reshape society’s priorities to put wellbeing at the …

Coronavirus: The possible long-term mental health impacts
4 years, 2 months ago

Coronavirus: The possible long-term mental health impacts

BBC  

Coronavirus: The possible long-term mental health impacts Covid-19 has increased anxiety for many of us, and experts warn a sizable minority could be left with mental health problems that outlast the pandemic. “Historically, the adverse mental health effects of disasters impact more people and last much longer than the health effects,” explains Joshua C Morganstein, assistant director at the Centre …

How young people are adapting to the challenges of living through a pandemic
4 years, 5 months ago

How young people are adapting to the challenges of living through a pandemic

ABC  

It was during a video catch-up with friends that Amsha became aware there was an elephant in the virtual room. "Often the stereotype is the opposite, that loneliness is something affecting older people living alone … what the population data shows is that actually it's young people who are the most lonely," clinical psychologist Tegan Cruwys told the ABC. The …

How Much Do People Around the World Care About Climate Change?
4 years, 6 months ago

How Much Do People Around the World Care About Climate Change?

The Quint  

New survey results from 40 countries shows that climate change matters to most people. In the vast majority of countries, fewer than 3% said climate change was not serious at all. Almost seven in ten think climate change is “a very, or extremely serious, problem,” but the results show notable country differences. Despite disastrous bush fires at the time of …

Lockdown: Fears grow over long-term impact of pandemic on young people’s mental health
4 years, 7 months ago

Lockdown: Fears grow over long-term impact of pandemic on young people’s mental health

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Covid-19 will aggravate mental health issues| Analysis
4 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19 will aggravate mental health issues| Analysis

Hindustan Times  

Mental health problems are likely to increase exponentially both at the individual and community levels as the impact of the coronavirus disease deepens over the next few months. The increase in mental health problems and psycho-social effects will impact the growth of the pandemic also. At the secondary level, online mental health services must be facilitated to support individuals with …

Experts warn of urgent need for Covid-19 mental health research
4 years, 8 months ago

Experts warn of urgent need for Covid-19 mental health research

CNN  

London CNN — Mental health and brain research must be a higher priority in the response to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists have said, warning that the crisis could have a “profound” and “pervasive impact” on global mental health now and in the future. Researchers noted that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – may …

Coronavirus will likely lead to more mental health issues in young adults, Patrick McGorry warns
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus will likely lead to more mental health issues in young adults, Patrick McGorry warns

ABC  

Just over a week ago, Charlie Laverty's life was like that of many young Australians. Mental health impacts of coronavirus Charlie's story comes as no surprise to Patrick McGorry, one of Australia's leading mental health experts, who warns young people's mental health needs during the COVID-19 response require urgent attention. Professor McGorry also says there needs to be "a fairly …

What Australians really think about climate action
4 years, 11 months ago

What Australians really think about climate action

ABC  

With the country burning and otherwise "quiet Australians" crying for action, it's worth asking: what do Australians really think about climate change? Just after the election, we asked 54,000 Australians what climate action they want — and when — through the Australia Talks National Survey. Immediate action ; Some action ; More research first ; Do nothing The most common …

Mental Health Day: There is a rise in 'eco-anxiety' as climate change affects mental health
5 years, 2 months ago

Mental Health Day: There is a rise in 'eco-anxiety' as climate change affects mental health

Firstpost  

The WHO regards climate change as “the greatest threat to global health in the 21st Century”. Climate change can affect people’s mental health in a number of ways, both directly and indirectly. The existential dread of climate change For many Australians, the existential dread of what the future holds in the face of unmitigated climate change is having documented impacts …

The harm from worrying about climate change
5 years, 3 months ago

The harm from worrying about climate change

BBC  

The harm from worrying about climate change Getty Image/BBC Worry about climate change is affecting more people as global warming becomes more apparent around the world. Hickman, a psychotherapist and researcher who studies children’s attitudes towards climate change in the UK, the Maldives and other countries, is frustrated by the flippant media treatment of the previous day. Having emerged out …

Distress About Climate Change is Growing; And So is ‘Eco-Anxiety’
5 years, 3 months ago

Distress About Climate Change is Growing; And So is ‘Eco-Anxiety’

The Quint  

The AMA’s recent statement has echoed calls from other medical associations for leadership on a national strategy for health and climate change. This should include increasing awareness of the mental health effects of climate change across the community, private, and government sectors. It will also be important to invest in areas where mental health services are under-resourced, which are often …

Climate Emotions: How climate change affects mental health
5 years, 3 months ago

Climate Emotions: How climate change affects mental health

BBC  

Climate Emotions: How climate change affects mental health BBC/Getty Images Climate change provokes strong emotional reactions. For people whose lives are already changing for the worse, climate change takes a heavy mental toll. But as this new BBC Future series explores, the two sides – our emotional responses to climate change and action to stop it – go hand in …

Climate change survey shows Australians want action on emissions, but are divided on nuclear
5 years, 4 months ago

Climate change survey shows Australians want action on emissions, but are divided on nuclear

ABC  

The majority of Australians blame increasing energy costs on "excessive profit margins" of energy companies, and 64 per cent think we should be aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Key points: More than 40 per cent of Australians said droughts and floods were already being affected by climate change New report found solar was the most popular energy choice, with …

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