Eco-anxiety: how climate change affects mental health
Extreme weather conditions and psychological distress
We read news about climate change almost daily, especially in these last few weeks of climate strikes. Our social media feeds are constantly flooded with information on rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions. The reality of climate change is becoming clearer each day. With that comes anxiety about the future of our environment.
All this negative news has led people to feel depressed about global warming. As a result, the feeling of helplessness and distress about the state of the environment has been dubbed ‘eco-anxiety’. Some may say that talking about emotions when the world is burning is a little self indulgent. However, some scientists suggest that ‘climate-grief’ will be one of the main issues to stem from the immediate climate crisis consequences.
Although ‘eco-anxiety’ is not yet a clinical term, the American Psychological Association produced a report in 2017 that detailed the impacts of climate change on mental health and referred to the phenomenon as ‘eco-anxiety’. The report describes it as a “chronic fear of environmental doom”. It describes it as source of stress caused by “watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children, and later generations”. It adds that some people “are deeply affected by feelings of loss, helplessness and frustration due to their inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change.”
Eco-anxiety is the result of depressing news, scientific papers, as well as simply observing our environment degrading in front of our eyes. Moreover, it’s an issue that is being taken more and more seriously. For example, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) recently declared climate change a health emergency. AMA’s statement highlights the negative physical effects (such as heat illness, asthma, anaemia and infectious diseases) and also stresses the significant impact climate change has on our mental health. Research also shows that experiences associated with climate change, such as immigration or the loss of one’s home and livelihood, have strong negative effects on mental health. Australian farmers, for example, feel that their sense of place and identities are being threatened. Similar effects have been observed in other parts of the world like in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
There are two main groups that experience heightened eco-anxiety that this article will discuss shortly.
Extreme weather conditions and our wellbeing
Aside from eco-anxiety, extreme heat caused by climate change has a direct impact on our mental health, whether we are truly worried about climate change or not.
Rising temperatures have been shown to have a negative effect on our mental health. Heat can lower the quality of sleep which, as a result, can have detrimental effects on our overall health. It has also been shown that higher temperatures correspond with higher rates of road rage, assault and even murder. Some more radical studies go as far as to link more wars with climate change, although there’s no agreed upon theory on this topic.
Moreover, during heatwaves the most vulnerable groups, such as groups with mental health problems, the elderly and the poor, are at the highest risk of worsened mood behaviours, violence and even suicide.
It has also been pointed out by some researchers that climate change contributes to the increase in social inequalities. Factors such as exposure to climate hazards and decreased ability to cope with, and recover from, weather anomalies show how climate change can create a vicious cycle where extreme weather conditions and social inequalities are locked together.
Young people are worried about the future
On top of the direct impact that climate change has on our mental wellbeing, the future is something else to be concerned about. The uncertainty about the state of our planet and the negative effects of climate change that are yet to come are taking a toll on all of us — especially on young people. Children are feeling increasingly threatened, betrayed and abandoned in the face of the current climate crisis. As a result, some children, like 16-year old Greta Thunberg, become more and more vocal about the state of our planet and its future.
As the climate destabilises, children and adolescents are being exposed to negative news about the future they’re going to live in. Previous studies have shown that 45% of children that have survived extreme weather events suffer from lasting depression. Eco-anxiety is a very rational fear as it’s based on events and stories from around the world, as well as being reinforced by evidence on climate change. Simultaneously, there’s a visible rise in anxiety among young people in general. How does eco-anxiety link to that trend? Is it simply the result of climate change crisis, or there are other problems involved? It’s a fascinating topic that could be potentially discussed in detail in another article.
The existential threat of climate change is having an emotional impact on young people. More and more children are seeking help for ‘eco-anxiety’. Moreover, parents have been advised to not overly stress their children with negative climate change news, but rather to introduce the idea in a four-stage strategy (mainly gradually introduce them to known facts, discuss age-appropriate issues, agree on practical ways to make a difference) so that they can be gradually exposed to the problem.
Climate change research affecting scientists
Not only young people are affected though. Scientists are experiencing an emotional trauma while researching the topic. In a letter published in Science, lead author Tim Gordon, calls for support for these scientists: “Academic institutes must allow environmental scientists to grieve well and thus emerge stronger from traumatic experiences to discover new insights about our rapidly changing world”.
In his letter, Gordon calls for more support for the scientists that are exposed to the negative news on climate change first hand and need mental health support to recover from this distressing information. He stresses how the image of a scientist as a dispassionate observer is ‘dangerously misguided’. Scientists are experiencing grief and are being affected by their research. Moreover, Gordon suggests that this grief should be used in a constructive way by scientists and inspire scientific creativity.
‘Climate-grief’, similarly to ‘eco-anxiety’ is a feeling of loss, depression and anxiety about the rapidly changing climate. Scientists have been exposed for decades to pages and pages of research on looming consequences of global warming, so it’s not surprising it’s taking a toll on their mental health. Simply, scientists know they’re in the front line of discovering more and more depressing facts about climate change.
Where are we going from here?
The feeling of hopelessness over climate change is affecting the young & adults, as well as scientists. So is there anything that can be done about it? Is there a way to ‘cure’ eco-anxiety? Like with any mental health issue, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But there are some things you can seemingly do to help deal with the sense of overwhelming hopelessness. One such solution is to participate in climate activism. Instead of focusing on negative emotions, people who take action feel more in control, and they can share their concerns with other participants which relieves emotional burden.
On that note, there’s a visible rise in climate protests across the globe. It would be interesting to explore what % of climate activists truly believe that activism is the best solution; and what % of climate activists use activism as a form of relief from eco-anxiety.
Other solutions include joining UK Student Climate Network and work closely with like-minded individuals. Similarly, we can all take action to minimize the negative impact climate change has on our mental health. Make informed choices about your purchases, politics and the organisations you support. First and foremost, be aware of your individual and collective power to stop climate change — get involved.

