A sense of pervasive loss, devastation and change are endemic to a world afflicted by climate change. Polar ice caps are melting, many animal species are going extinct; the weather is unpredictable and often extreme.
We are increasingly aware of the impacts these changes are having on our physiological health — whether it be as stark as death and injury from extreme weather events, or more insidious harm from the worsening quality of water, air and food.
But as the emerging field of eco-psychology reveals, climate change takes a significant toll on our mental health, too.
“For people who are hearing and paying attention to what is happening to the climate, it is a huge weight and anxiety and fear,” Burke said.
Having worked in the field for the past two decades, the psychologist describes observing people with “anxiety and depression, flat moods, helplessness and hopelessness, and anger,” as well as “guilt and shame.”
Climate change may take a toll on our mental health, too
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