Climate anxiety, solastalgia, eco distress: There are already numerous terms for the effects of the climate crisis on our mental health. However, it is not just the knowledge of the crisis that endangers our psyche. Which factors also play a role and how can we protect ourselves from it.
Fear of the future, heat, destruction of our living space: all of these factors are already having a huge impact on our mental health. The climate crisis is causing the number of mental illnesses to rise and violence and aggression are also increasing – a report by the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN) shows this very clearly. The climate crisis is affecting our mental health in many different ways.
How climate change affects the psyche: directly and indirectly
The DGPPN report lists the following factors that have a direct impact on the psyche:
- heat
- Natural disasters
- afraid of the future
The following points would also have indirect effects:
- Climate refugee and migration
- Food insecurity
Heat and natural disasters in particular play a significant role in the direct psychological impact. The hotter it gets, the more aggressive and hostile we become in our dealings with others – this was also the conclusion reached by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) from an analysis of international studies on this topic. This also leads to an increase in the number of violent crimes such as physical assault, murder, theft or rape.
The DGPPN warns: Higher temperatures also carry a higher risk of mental illness. For every degree increase in temperature, the probability of a mental illness increases by 0.9 percent. This is reflected in the increase in (emergency) admissions to psychiatric clinics. The suicide rate is also significantly higher.
Natural disasters can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder
Natural disasters and extreme weather events have an equally significant impact on mental health. We are already experiencing fires, storms, droughts and floods – but they will become even more frequent in the future. The experiences can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in those affected – according to the DGPPN, this has already been the case with natural disasters in the recent past.
After a flood disaster in England, for example, researchers found that 36.2 percent of those affected suffered from a stress disorder one year later. After Hurricane Katrina in the USA in 2005, a similar picture emerged: a third of the population in the region was diagnosed with a stress disorder.
According to the DGPPN, generalized anxiety, depression, increased suicide rates and increased alcohol and substance use and abuse as well as increased domestic violence can also be consequences of such disasters. However, the RKI emphasizes that whether natural disasters affect the mental health of those affected depends on various factors. These include, for example, the type, duration and intensity of the disaster as well as the help received.
Climate anxiety, solastalgia and eco distress
There are already numerous terms for the feelings and emotions that accompany the realization of the effects of the climate crisis: climate anxiety, eco distress or solastalgia are a few of them.
Eco distress describes emotions such as hopelessness, sadness, guilt, anger, worry, fear and panic that are caused by the climate crisis. Solastalgia is the fear of losing one’s usual habitat and climate anxiety is the concern about future change and destruction caused by global warming.
These concerns are no longer uncommon: In a survey, 71 percent of 573 psychotherapists surveyed said that patients had expressed climate concerns to them. The results of the survey were published in April 2024 in the specialist journal BMC.
Global warming can also affect us indirectly – for example through our diet. If there are droughts or flooded fields, this can lead to food shortages and, as a result, malnutrition. According to the DGPPN, women, older people and children in particular are at risk of developing depression or ADHD. If those affected have to flee due to natural disasters, this can lead to both economic and personal losses, such as the loss of one’s own identity or anxiety disorders.
Combating the climate crisis
The climate crisis poses numerous risks to mental health – researchers see women, children and older people as particularly vulnerable. But what can you do to protect your own psyche?
Combating the climate crisis is the most effective way to reduce the impact of factors such as heat, natural disasters or food shortages. In the Paris Agreement, numerous countries around the world have agreed that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era makes sense. According to a special report by the IPCC, even a warming of two degrees could have more drastic consequences for human health and in the areas of species extinction, extreme weather and rising sea levels. However, it is unclear whether the target can be met – although political measures to limit global warming are essential.
Climate fear is an appropriate response to the crisis
Psychologist Anika Heck from Psychologists for Future also believes that it is completely normal that many people feel fear and worry about the climate crisis: “From a psychological point of view, climate anxiety is actually a completely natural and appropriate reaction when dealing with the climate crisis.” Climate anxiety is therefore not a mental illness. However, in order to feel less powerless, it can help to take action yourself.
“Which approach helps depends greatly on the individual. If someone responds well to self-efficacy and has self-confidence, activism is more likely to help. If you are more anxious, support groups or even psychotherapy are more helpful,” said psychotherapy scientist Paolo Raile in an interview with the Standard. Sharing your fears with other people who know them or at least understand them is particularly important.
In this context, activism can lead to a kind of self-empowerment and empowerment instead of feeling helpless, psychologist Lea Dohm told rbb. Dohm is co-founder of Psychologists for Future, which deals with mental health in connection with the climate crisis. “Psychological research clearly indicates that experiencing self-efficacy and perceiving effective options for action is an antidote to these unpleasant feelings,” emphasized the psychologist.
Note: If you feel psychologically stressed or have depressive thoughts, you can get help from the telephone counseling service: On the telephone number: 0800/1110111 or 0800/1110222. Alternatively, there is a chat service at online.telefonseelsorge.de
Sources used: DGPPN, RKI, BMC, Der Standard, rbb, IPCC
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