Protecting those who protect nature by supporting conservationists’ mental health

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation work can be challenging but rewarding, with potential consequences for conservationists’ mental health. Yet, little is known about patterns of mental health among conservationists and its associated protective and risk factors. A better understanding may help improve working conditions, supporting conservationists’ job satisfaction, productivity, and engagement, while reducing costs from staff turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism. We surveyed 2311 conservation professionals working across 122 countries, asking about experiences of psychological distress, personal characteristics, and workplace conditions. Over half were from and worked in Europe and North America, and most had university-level education, were in desk-based academic and practitioner roles, and responded in English. Moderate or severe distress was reported by 27.8% (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale scores over 24). Respondents with low dispositional and conservation-specific optimism, poor physical health, limited social support, women, and early-career professionals were most at risk in our sample. Heavy workload, job demands, and organisational instability were linked to higher distress, but job stability and satisfaction with one’s contributions to conservation were associated with lower distress. We suggest ways employers and others might ‘promote the positives’ and manage the risks of working in the sector, potentially supporting conservationists’ mental health and abilities to protect nature.

Communicating the Biodiversity Crisis: From “Warnings” to Positive Engagement

“…Conservationists need to learn to pay attention to the small wins and success stories which are encountered, both in order to build their own resilience and ability to affect long-term change (Pienkowski, Brittain, et al, 2021; Pienkowski, Keane, et al, 2021), and to communicate these with others. For conservation to be successful, the discipline of conservation science itself must also shift focus from identifying threats to developing and testing possible responses and future pathways (Williams et al, 2020), working in collaboration with and supporting the conservation efforts of diverse social actors.…”

“…Compared with other groups, they displayed stronger emotions around the issue, but did not engage in more pro-environmental behaviors (Grund & Brock, 2019). Even those who have been engaged in conservation efforts for a long period of time risk burnout and resignation when effort is expended but tangible progress or rewards are not felt (Figure 1, endpoint 3; Cox, 2009; Pienkowski, Brittain, et al, 2021).…”

Recognizing reflexivity among conservation practitioners

“…Employers might promote the positives and manage the challenges of working in conservation, perhaps supporting conservationists’ mental health, satisfaction, and productivity (Pienkowski, Keane, Castelló y Tickell, de Lange, et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2020).…”

“…However, challenging working conditions in the conservation sector are not unique to rangers. For instance, among 2311 conservationists (primarily with university‐level education and desk‐based roles), 27.8% reported moderate or severe psychological distress, and workplace challenges, such as heavy workloads, job demands, and organizational instability, were associated with higher distress (Pienkowski, Keane, Castelló y Tickell, de Lange, et al., 2022). Other examples of conservationists reflecting on these challenges can be found on, for example, the Lonely Conservationists blog, where stories recounting the challenges faced by conservationists, particularly at early career stages, are shared (Lonely Conservationists, 2020).…”

Psychological distress and workplace risk inequalities among conservation professionals

“…For example, the National Health Service in England has adopted a work plan that seeks to improve working conditions, thereby reducing staff turnover and improving patient care (NHS, 2019). In contrast, there is limited empirical research investigating the mental health of nature conservation professionals and the workplace factors influencing it (Anagnostou et al, 2022; Pienkowski, Keane, Castelló y Tickell, et al, 2022). Some exceptions include a study among 42 forest guards from six tiger reserves in India, which found that reported job satisfaction, alongside other factors, was linked to psychological wellbeing (Belhekar et al, 2020).…”