A recent global study, which interviewed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that almost 60% of them were extremely worried about the future state of the planet. The report, which was published in the medical journal The Lancetit also showed that nearly half of those surveyed said such distress affects them on a daily basis, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is scary.” This and many other studies clearly demonstrate that climate change is not only a threat to the environment in which we live. It also poses a very real threat to our emotional well-being.
Psychologists have classified these feelings of grief, anguish and worry about the current climate emergency – a common occurrence among today’s youth – under the label “eco-anxiety”. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as “heightened emotional, mental, or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.” Eco-anxiety doesn’t just affect young people. It also affects researchers working in climate and ecological sciences, burdened by the reality represented by their findings, and it affects the most economically marginalized people around the world, who disproportionately bear the devastating impacts of climate collapse.
In 2024, eco-anxiety will become a leading cause of mental health problems. The reasons are obvious. Scientists estimate that the world will likely exceed safe levels of temperature rise above pre-industrial levels for the first time by 2027. In recent years, we have seen wildfires ravage Canada and Greece, and summer floods decimate regions of Pakistan that They are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that people affected by air pollution and rising temperatures are more likely to experience psychological distress.
To make matters worse, in the face of climate catastrophe, our political class offers no strong leadership. The COP28 conference in Dubai will be chaired by an executive from an oil and gas company. In the UK, the government is backtracking on its environmental commitments.
Fortunately, higher levels of eco-anxiety will also offer a path to tackling the climate crisis head-on. Caroline Hickman, an eco-anxiety researcher at the University of Bath, warns that the feelings of worry, grief, despair and despondency associated with eco-anxiety should not be pathologised. After all, the cause of this mental discomfort is undeniably external. According to Hickman, anyone experiencing these emotions shows completely natural and rational reactions to the climate crisis. His suggestion? Harness eco-anxiety as a tool for good, as an emotion that can galvanize people to take action to protect our planet.
This is why, in 2024, we will also see more people around the world joining the fight for climate justice and seeking jobs that prioritize environmental sustainability. Activists will put more pressure on fossil fuel industries and the governments that subsidize them to phase out the use of polluting coal, oil and gas. It is now clear that not only are they the main culprits of the climate crisis, but they are also responsible for the mental health crisis that is starting to affect most of us. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy: we will deal with it by taking action.