A recent global study, which surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that nearly 60 percent of them were extremely concerned about the future state of the planet. The report, which was published in the medical journal The Lancetalso showed that nearly half of respondents said that such distress affects them daily, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is scary.” This, and many other studies, clearly show 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 categorized these feelings of sadness, distress and worry about the current climate emergency – a common occurrence among youth today – under the label of “eco-anxiety”. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as the “heightened emotional, mental, or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.” Eco-anxiety does not only affect young people. It also affects researchers working in climate and ecological science, burdened by the reality portrayed by their findings, and it affects the most economically marginalized around the world, who disproportionately bear the devastating impact of climate collapse.
In 2024, eco-anxiety will increase to become one of the leading causes of mental health problems. The reasons are obvious. Scientists estimate that the world is likely to breach safe levels of temperature increases above pre-industrial levels for the first time by 2027. In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires rip through Canada and Greece, and summer floods destroy regions of Pakistan that are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that those 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 does not provide strong leadership. The COP28 conference in Dubai will be chaired by an oil and gas company CEO. In the UK, the government is rolling back its green commitments.
Fortunately, greater levels of eco-anxiety will also provide a way to tackle the climate crisis head on. Caroline Hickman, an eco-anxiety researcher from the University of Bath, warns that the feelings of worry, sadness, despair and despondency associated with eco-anxiety should not be pathologised. After all, the cause of this spiritual distress is undeniably external. According to Hickman, anyone experiencing these emotions is showing perfectly natural and rational responses to the climate crisis. Her proposal? Use eco-anxiety as a tool for good – as an emotion that can spur 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 looking for jobs that prioritize environmental sustainability. Campaigners will put greater pressure on fossil fuel industries and the governments that subsidize them to quickly phase out the use of polluting coal, oil and gas. It is now clear that they are not only the main culprits for the climate crisis, they are also responsible for the mental health crisis that is beginning to affect most of us. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy – we will tackle it by taking action.