Soaring seas, forest fires and deadly drought: climate change conspiracies and mental health

Abstract

Summary There is scientific consensus that anthropogenic climate change is real and that it provides an existential threat to humanity and the planet. In this article, we focus on climate change conspiracy theories and the impact of such beliefs on mental health. We discuss the psychiatric disorders that might be relevant to conspiracy belief endorsement and we present the underlying psychological mechanisms. We note that there is little to no literature to associate beliefs about climate change with serious mental health conditions. However, we anticipate that such beliefs may manifest pathologically in psychiatric presentations as climate change becomes increasingly at the forefront of the global agenda.

Dimensions of beliefs without strong supporting evidence and reasons for holding them

“…These findings may have important social implications. Research has now clearly shown that BWSSE are not ‘fringe’, but instead are common [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. In the COVID-19 health pandemic, surveys from the UK, Europe, and North America suggested that 30–40% of the population endorsed, to some degree, at least one COVID-related conspiracy theory belief [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…BWSSEs were first studied under the concepts of schizotypy, psychosis-proneness, or delusional ideation, conceptualized to occur on a continuum with clinically significant delusions in schizophrenia and psychosis [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] ]. However, given the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and related political events, BWSSE have captured the attention of the media and the general public, and it has become clear that BWSSE are much more widespread than previously thought [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ], extending well beyond parallels for psychotic delusions. In particular, endorsement of conspiracy theories can lead to social and health-related consequences, such as increased risk of viral infection with refusal of vaccinations (Oleksy et al, 2021; Ripp & Röer, 2022).…”

“…In particular, endorsement of conspiracy theories can lead to social and health-related consequences, such as increased risk of viral infection with refusal of vaccinations (Oleksy et al, 2021; Ripp & Röer, 2022). Misinformation has been recognized to support BWSSE, and the manifestation of such beliefs should be taken into consideration [ 11 ].…”