<i>“It's Hard to Give Hope Sometimes”:</i> Climate Change, Mental Health, and the Challenges for Mental Health Professionals

Hoppe, Brendalynn O.; Prussia, Leah; Manning, Christie M.; Raab, Kristin; Jones-Casey, Kelsey

doi:10.1089/eco.2022.0032

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The findings by Hoppe et al 23 should be interpreted within the context of the scarcity of similar studies. Nevertheless, as the authors point out, while climate change may be observed in Minnesota, the prevalence of mental health outcomes might be even higher in regions with greater exposure to natural disasters, including floods and droughts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The paper by Hoppe et al 23 focused on the challenges faced by licensed practicing mental health professionals (MHPs; Supplementary Table 2). The study used a cross-sectional online knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) survey among practicing MHPs across the State of Minnesota.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over one-fifth (22%) of practicing MHPs reported that they had seen evidence of suicidal ideation or attempts in their clients as an outcome of climate change. 23 It is important to note that the publication lacks important details about the design and conduct of the study, and there are some limitations. Although sample size calculations were provided, the information presented suggests that an online survey was shared with members of professional organizations, and random sampling was not conducted, which would be required to determine the scope of the problem.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviour: A systematic literature review

Kõlves,

Shaw-Williams,

Krishnamoorthy

et al. 2023

Preprint

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IntroductionAlthough there have been assumptions about the link between eco-emotions and suicidality, there is currently no systematic evidence. Therefore, the aim of this review is to systematically examine empirical literature analysing the link between eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviours, both fatal and non-fatal.MethodsThe review protocol was pre-registered in PROSPERO [CRD42022352379] and the PRISMA checklist was followed. Searches were conducted in six electronic databases (Scopus (Elsevier), Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL and Embase) for peer-reviewed English language literature published from 1 January 2000 until 16 September 2023. Screening of titles, abstracts and full texts was conducted independently by two reviewers and any discrepancies were resolved in consultation with a senior researcher. The Johanna Briggs Institute’s quality appraisal tools were used for quality assessment.ResultsSearch results revealed 559 records. After removal of duplicates, 424 articles were screened. After title and abstract screening, 28 articles were included for full text screening. Only one paper satisfied the inclusion criteria. A cross-sectional online knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) survey among practicing mental health professionals across the State of Minnesota analysed the impact of climate change on their work and clients. Although the study did not specifically focus on suicidality, it reported that 22% of practicing mental health professionals had seen evidence of suicidal ideation or attempts in their clients as an outcome of climate change.ConclusionThere is a lack of research on the association between eco-emotions and suicidality. Considering advancing climate change research, our review emphasizes an urgent need to conduct high level research to analyse the association between eco-emotions and suicidality and consider its potential implications.What is already known on this topic?There’s a recognized and growing concern about the impact of climate change on mental health, particularly the emergence of eco-emotions such as eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and solastalgia. While studies have linked higher temperatures and natural disasters to suicidality, research specifically examining the association between eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviours is lacking.What this study adds?This systematic literature review revealed a stark scarcity of research connecting eco-emotions with suicidal ideation and behaviours. Only one paper met the inclusion criteria of the review. This scarcity underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive studies exploring the potential connection between eco-emotions and suicidality at an individual level.How this study might affect research, practice, or policy?The limited findings from this review highlight the pressing need for more in-depth research to determine and understand the association between eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviours. It emphasizes the necessity for interdisciplinary research for a multi-faceted approach addressing mental health impacts of climate change and its underlying causes, calling for informed engagement, mental health support, and policy actions to mitigate eco-grief and anxiety related to climate change impacts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviour: A systematic literature review

Kõlves,

Shaw-Williams,

Krishnamoorthy

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This will also require training of mental health professionals to be 'climate-aware', as they will play a key role in highlighting, evaluating, scaling and increasing the accessibility of both new and pre-existing clinical and non-clinical interventions that may protect and promote mental health and wellbeing in the climate crisis 36 . Mental health practitioners are increasingly encountering climate change-related concerns in help-seeking clients, yet most feel unprepared, or lack the resources to engage effectively with the issue, highlighting a clear need for interdisciplinary research and practice development 37 . Climate policy and action, particularly in heeding the IPCC report calls for participatory approaches of local communities, can bene t from an understanding of direct climate-related experiences in catalysing desire for community action opportunities 38,39 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-anxiety and the influence of climate change on future planning is greater for young US residents with direct exposure to climate impacts

Wray

Vercammen

Crider

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Awareness of the threats of climate change is engendering distress in increasingly documented ways, with young people particularly affected. Experiences such as climate distress and eco-anxiety have implications for the health and wellbeing of societies, economies, and for climate action, including mental health, agency to address the crisis, and future planning. While multi-country studies suggest that eco-anxiety and related experiences of distress may vary with context, the hypothesis that exposure to climate-related impacts increases eco-anxiety and associated psychological impacts is underexplored in youth at the individual level. Here we show that in a large sample of US youth (aged 16–24, n = 2834), self-reported direct experience of climate-related events significantly increased eco-anxiety, climate distress and the impact of climate change on future planning, but also psychological adaptation, meaning-focused coping and climate agency. As the climate crisis accelerates and exposure to climate-related hazards increases, these findings have important implications for the mental health of populations, life choices that have socioeconomic impact, and climate behaviours of the growing group of young people experiencing these threats.

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“…In its most recent assessment report on climate impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, the IPCC Working Group II has for the first time explicitly highlighted the current mental health challenges of climate change and warns this is only likely to increase (3). This reflects reports from mental health professionals who support a growing number of clients struggling with their thoughts and feelings around climate change (4)(5)(6). Among other subgroups, young people are disproportionately burdened by climate change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Psycho-social factors associated with climate distress, hope and behavioural intentions in young UK residents

Vercammen¹,

Lawrance²,

Oswald³

2023

Preprint

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In this mixed methods study, which complements an earlier publication (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00172-3), we delve deeper into the experience of ‘climate distress’ among UK residents aged 16-24 (N=539). We report on data collected from an online survey assessing general mental health, subjective wellbeing, and climate distress using existing psychometric scales. We also included novel questions assessing positive and negative life impacts of climate change, open-ended questions on aspirations and priorities for the future, and engagement in pro-environmental and climate actions. In addition to quantitative results, we analysed free-text responses to two open-ended questions about respondents' hopes for the future, and their experience with climate change and actions in response to it.

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“It's Hard to Give Hope Sometimes”: Climate Change, Mental Health, and the Challenges for Mental Health Professionals

Cited by 16 publications

References 46 publications

Eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviour: A systematic literature review

Eco-emotions and suicidal ideation and behaviour: A systematic literature review

Eco-anxiety and the influence of climate change on future planning is greater for young US residents with direct exposure to climate impacts

Psycho-social factors associated with climate distress, hope and behavioural intentions in young UK residents

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