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User:CaveatLector2022/Eco anxiety

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Definition edit

A 2021 systematic review found that eco-anxiety had been defined in various different ways; a common feature of the different definitions is that they describe challenging emtional responses to climate change and other enviromental issues.[1]

The term eco-anxiety is said to have been coined by Glenn Albrecht who defined it as "a chronic fear of environmental doom".[1][2][3] Another widely cited definition is: "the generalized sense that the ecological foundations of existence are in the process of collapse."[4] Some scholars use the term eco-anxiety as a synonym for climate-anxiety, while others like to treat the terms separately.[4] The APA has defined eco-anxiety as"the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one's future and that of next generations".[5]

Prevalence edit

 
Degrees of concern about the effects of climate change vary with political affiliation.[6]
 
Almost six in ten respondents reported that a severe effect of climate change has already occurred where they live, with 38% expecting to be displaced from their homes in the next 25 years because of climate change.[7]

In 2018, surveys that were conducted in the United States found between 21%[8] and 29%[9] of Americans said they were "very" worried about the climate, which is double the rate of a similar study in 2015. This concept of climate or ecological anxiety and grief is far-reaching due to the extensive awareness about climate change that is made possible through technology and global communication. Climate change is an ongoing global threat that is largely characterized by uncertainty and lack of understanding. For this reason, anxiety and grief in humans is a natural and rational response for those feeling fear or a lack of control. For example, these feelings could arise in people who are forced to leave their homes, deal with uncertainty about their future environment, or feel concern for the future harm of their children. Climate grief can be divided into three categories: physical ecological losses, the loss of environmental knowledge, and anticipated future losses.[10]

Prevalence in Children and Young Adults edit

The condition has become especially common among children and young people – in some universities over 70% of students have self described as suffering from eco-anxiety. However, as of early 2021, validated ways to assess the prevalence of climate or eco-anxiety were not well established.[11][12][13] A survey published in September 2021 had queried 10,000 young people from 10 countries across the world, finding that almost 60% were either very or extremely worried about climate change. Two thirds said they felt sad, afraid and anxious, while close to 40% reported they were hesitant to have children.[14][15]

The people that surround children and young adults, like parents, guardians, teachers, and mentors, can have an impact on how they view climate change. There is research being done about how these groups of people should talk to children and young adults to prevent eco-anxiety in these populations, while still encouraging climate change mitigation practices.[16]

Prevalence in Women edit

An October 2021 report based on polling in the UK found 78% of people surveyed expressed some degree of eco-anxiety. It did however find that women (45%) were substantially more likely to report high levels of eco-anxiety compared to men (36%).[17][18] Similar observations have been reported worldwide, including European and African countries.[19] Another reason eco-anxiety is more prevalent in women is because 80% of climate migrants are women.[20] Many women decide whether or not they will have children based on climate change, because climate change is predicted to impact future generations more. A survey conducted by the New York Times in 2018 found that 33% of women that chose not to have children cited climate change as a reason.[20]

Prevalence in Indigenous Peoples edit

Indigenous populations are especially vulnerable to eco-anxiety and other climate-caused emotional responses because of their reliance on their land and land-based activities for their livelihood and well-being.[21] A study from 2021 found that indigenous populations that were exposed to environmental changes that are associated with climate change, like species loss, droughts, rising temperatures, and erratic weather patterns, were most likely to experience a decrease in mental wellbeing. This decrease can be expressed as eco-anxiety, but also as other climate related emotional responses, like eco-anger.[22]

Symptoms edit

Eco-anxiety can manifest in ways that cause physical symptoms and may exacerbate pre-existing mental health conditions.[23] Symptoms include irritability, sleeplessness, inability to relax, loss of appetite, poor concentration, bouts of weakness, panic attacks, muscle tension and twitching. These symptoms are similar to the symptoms that someone diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder might experience.[24]

These symptoms are common in people who experience eco-anxiety. For example, a 2022 study commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reported that "anxieties around climate change and environmental issues" caused insomnia for 70% of Americans.[25]

Other mental and/or emotional symptoms include feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, distancing oneself from or avoiding the issue, and feeling overwhelmed or suffocated.[24]

Related emotional responses edit

In the field of ecopsychology, there are other climate-specific psychological impacts that are less well studied than eco-anxiety. They include, but are not limited to, eco-grief (or eco-depression), eco-anger, eco-guilt, and solastalgia.

Eco-anger edit

Eco-anger is frustration about climate change and the environmental changes that are caused by it. It can also be frustration towards certain groups, corporations, or countries that contribute to climate change. A study that separated the effects of eco-anxiety, eco-depression and eco-anger, found that eco-anger is the best for a person's wellbeing. This study also found that eco-anger is good for motivating participation in actions that combat climate change.[26] A separate report from 2021 found that eco-anger was significantly more common among young people.[27]

Eco-grief edit

After a Blue Origin spaceflight

      It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness. Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna... things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind. It filled me with dread. My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral.

— William Shatner in his Boldly Go autobiography[28]

Ecological grief (or eco-grief) is "the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems, and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change."[29]

Eco-guilt edit

Eco-guilt is "guilt that arises when people think about times they have not met personal or societal standards for environmental behavior."[30] This guilt can take the form of self-criticism, self-blame, self-examination, and/or self-torturing.[31]

Solastalgia edit

Solastalgia is "the distress caused by the transformation and degradation of one's home environment."[32] A 2019 study found that the number of people who experience solastaliga will increase as the rate of climate change also continues to increase. This is due to the fact that more people will see the effects of climate change on their home environments as climate change continues.[32]

Organizations edit

Several psychological organizations have been founded around climate psychology.[33][34][35] Scholars have pointed out that there is a need for a systemic approach to provide various resources for people in relation to the mental health impacts of ecological problems and climate change.[36][37] Some organizations, such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists, provide web based guidance to help caregivers assist children and young adults deal with their eco-anxiety.[38]

Eco-anxiety support groups have also been created locally, nationally, and globally. These groups allow people to discuss their fears about climate change and receive advice from other members on how to address those fears.[39][40] Peer-to-peer support groups have also emerged among individuals who have moved through the stages of grief into acceptance of climate impacts as ongoing and, to some degree, inevitable. Examples includes groups arising from the concepts of Deep adaptation (origin 2018) and Post-doom (origin 2019).[41][42]

See also edit

  1. ^ a b Coffey Y, Bhullar N, Durkin J, Islam MS, Usher K (2021-08-01). "Understanding Eco-anxiety: A Systematic Scoping Review of Current Literature and Identified Knowledge Gaps". The Journal of Climate Change and Health. 3: 100047. doi:10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100047.
  2. ^ Clayton, Susan; Manning, Christie; Krygsman, Kirra; Speiser, Meighen (March 2017), Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance (PDF), American Psychological Association
  3. ^ Inauen, Jennifer; Contzen, Nadja; Frick, Vivan; Kadel, Philipp; Keller, Jan; Kollmann, Josianne; Mata, Jutta; van Valkengoed, Anne M. (2021). "Environmental Issues Are Health Issues". European Psychologist. 26 (3): 219–229. doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000438.
  4. ^ a b Pihkala Panu (2020). "Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety". Sustainability. 12 (19): 7836. doi:10.3390/su12197836.
  5. ^ "Eco-ansiedade: as sequelas psicológicas da crise climática". Iberdrola. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  6. ^ Saad, Lydia (20 April 2023). "A Steady Six in 10 Say Global Warming's Effects Have Begun". Gallup, Inc. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Global Views on Climate Change" (PDF). Ipsos. November 2023. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2023.
  8. ^ 'Climate grief': The growing emotional toll of climate change NBC News, 24 December 2018
  9. ^ Climate Change in the American Mind: December 2018, Climate Change Communication
  10. ^ Clayton, Susan (1 August 2020). "Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change". Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 74: 102263. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102263. ISSN 0887-6185. PMID 32623280. S2CID 220370112.
  11. ^ Alan E Stewart (2021). "Psychometric Properties of the Climate Change Worry Scale". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (2): 494. doi:10.3390/ijerph18020494. PMC 7826965. PMID 33435348.
  12. ^ Judy Wu; Gaelen Snell; Hasina Samji (2020). "Climate anxiety in young people: a call to action". The Lancet. 4 (10): e435–e436. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30223-0. PMID 32918865.
  13. ^ Susan Clayton (2020). "Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change". Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 74: 102263. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102263. PMID 32623280. S2CID 220370112.
  14. ^ Roger Harrabin (14 September 2021). "Climate change: Young people very worried - survey". BBC News. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  15. ^ Hickman, Caroline; Marks, Elizabeth; Pihkala, Panu; Clayton, Susan; Lewandowski, Eric; Mayall, Elouise; Wray, Britt; Mellor, Catriona; van Susteren, Lise (2021-12-31). "Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey". Lancet Planetary Health. 5 (12): e863–e873. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3. hdl:10138/337441. ISSN 2542-5196. PMID 34895496.
  16. ^ Léger-Goodes, Terra; Malboeuf-Hurtubise, Catherine; Mastine, Trinity; Généreux, Mélissa; Paradis, Pier-Olivier; Camden, Chantal (2022). "Eco-anxiety in children: A scoping review of the mental health impacts of the awareness of climate change". Frontiers in Psychology. 13: 872544. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872544. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 9359205. PMID 35959069.
  17. ^ Toby Helm (31 October 2021). "Eco-anxiety over climate crisis suffered by all ages and classes". The Observer. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  18. ^ Rowenna Davis (October 2021). "A Criis in Common" (PDF). Global Future. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  19. ^ Heeren, A.; Mouguiama-Daouda, C.; Contreras, A. (2022). "On climate anxiety and the threat it may pose to daily life functioning and adaptation: a study among European and African French-speaking participants". Climatic Change. 173 (1–2): 15. Bibcode:2022ClCh..173...15H. doi:10.1007/s10584-022-03402-2. PMC 9326410. PMID 35912274.
  20. ^ a b Rothschild, Julia; Haase, Elizabeth (February 2023). "Women's mental health and climate change Part II: Socioeconomic stresses of climate change and eco‐anxiety for women and their children". International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. 160 (2): 414–420. doi:10.1002/ijgo.14514. ISSN 0020-7292. PMID 36254375. S2CID 252970641.
  21. ^ Cunsolo, Ashlee; Harper, Sherilee L.; Minor, Kelton; Hayes, Katie; Williams, Kimberly G.; Howard, Courtney (1 July 2020). "Ecological grief and anxiety: the start of a healthy response to climate change?". The Lancet Planetary Health. 4 (7): e261–e263. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30144-3. ISSN 2542-5196. PMID 32681892.
  22. ^ Vecchio, Emily Ann; Dickson, Michelle; Zhang, Ying (2022-05-01). "Indigenous mental health and climate change: A systematic literature review". The Journal of Climate Change and Health. 6: 100121. doi:10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100121. ISSN 2667-2782. S2CID 246716676.
  23. ^ Buzzell, Linda; Chalquist, Craig (2019). It's Not Eco-Anxiety – It's Eco-Fear! A Survey of the Eco-Emotions. www.chalquist.com.
  24. ^ a b Soutar, Catriona; Wand, Anne P. F. (2022). "Understanding the Spectrum of Anxiety Responses to Climate Change: A Systematic Review of the Qualitative Literature". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19 (2): 990. doi:10.3390/ijerph19020990. PMC 8776219. PMID 35055813.
  25. ^ "Nearly 70% of Americans have lost sleep due to environmental worries". American Academy of Sleep Medicine – Association for Sleep Clinicians and Researchers. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  26. ^ Samantha K. Stanley; Teaghan L. Hogg; Zoe Leviston; Iain Walker (2021). "From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing". The Journal of Climate Change and Health. 1: 100003. doi:10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100003.
  27. ^ Rowenna Davis (October 2021). "A Crisis in Common" (PDF). Global Future. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  28. ^ Shatner, William (October 6, 2022). "William Shatner: My Trip to Space Filled Me With 'Overwhelming Sadness'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022.
  29. ^ Cunsolo, Ashlee; Ellis, Neville R. (April 2018). "Ecological grief as a mental health response to climate change-related loss". Nature Climate Change. 8 (4): 275–281. Bibcode:2018NatCC...8..275C. doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0092-2. ISSN 1758-6798. S2CID 90611076. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  30. ^ Mallett, Robyn K. (2012-09-01). "Eco-Guilt Motivates Eco-Friendly Behavior". Ecopsychology. 4 (3): 223–231. doi:10.1089/eco.2012.0031.
  31. ^ Ágoston, Csilla; Csaba, Benedek; Nagy, Bence; Kőváry, Zoltán; Dúll, Andrea; Rácz, József; Demetrovics, Zsolt (2022). "Identifying Types of Eco-Anxiety, Eco-Guilt, Eco-Grief, and Eco-Coping in a Climate-Sensitive Population: A Qualitative Study". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19 (4): 2461. doi:10.3390/ijerph19042461. PMC 8875433. PMID 35206648.
  32. ^ a b Galway, Lindsay P.; Beery, Thomas; Jones-Casey, Kelsey; Tasala, Kirsti (2019). "Mapping the Solastalgia Literature: A Scoping Review Study". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (15): 2662. doi:10.3390/ijerph16152662. PMC 6696016. PMID 31349659.
  33. ^ "Psychology for a Safe Climate". Psychology for a Safe Climate. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  34. ^ "Climate Psychology Alliance – Home". Climate Psychology Alliance. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  35. ^ "Climate Psychiatry Alliance". Climate Psychiatry Alliance. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  36. ^ Clayton, Susan; Manning, Christie; Krygsman, Kirra; Speiser, Meighen (March 2017), Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance (PDF), American Psychological Association
  37. ^ "Coping with climate change distress | APS". www.psychology.org.au. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  38. ^ Dr Catriona Mellor (2020). "Eco distress: for parents and carers". Royal College of Psychiatrists. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  39. ^ "Eco-Anxiety Support Group". Waterspirit. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  40. ^ "Home". Good Grief Network. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  41. ^ Ahmed, Nahfeez (November 22, 2019). "The Collapse of Civilization May have Already Begun". VICE. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  42. ^ Jones, Lucy (25 April 2023). "Adapt or die: Jem Bendell's radical vision to survive the climate crisis". GQ.
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