Is climate change affecting mental health of urban populations?

Cianconi, Paolo; Hanife, Batul; Hirsch, Daniele; Janiri, Luigi

doi:10.1097/yco.0000000000000859

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In this scenario, the population's health is being harmed in a variety of ways [3][4][5][6] with an increase in negative psychological states too [7]. As a result, the achievement of sustainability of life on Earth has emerged as one of the most compelling global scientific, political, and educational issues [8,9]. In the psychological literature, a fast-growing research perspective dealing with the study of "ecoanxiety", as a psychological construct focused on the adverse effect of climate crisis, has been emerging [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health

Di Fabio,

Svicher

2023

IJERPH

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(1) Background: Environmental issues are among society’s most pressing concerns as they can significantly impact the environment and human health. The Eco Generativity Scale (EGS), a 28-item four-factor scale has been introduced to promote a constructive outlook on the matter. It encompasses two types of generativity, namely ecological and social generativity, as well as environmental identity and agency/pathways. The aim of the current study was to examine the EGS’s psychometric properties among 375 Italian university students. (2) Methods: To evaluate the scale’s factor structure, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Internal consistency was evaluated via Cronbach’s alphas and McDonald’s omega. Concurrent validity was analyzed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Satisfaction with life Scale (SWLS), Meaningful Life Measure (MLM), and Flourishing Scale (FS). (3) Results: The exploratory factor analysis showed the best fit for a four-factor solution. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a four-factor higher-order model provided the best fit to the data with good internal consistency. Furthermore, each factor and the total score showed a good concurrent validity with the PANAS, SWLS, MLM, and FS. (4) Conclusions: The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS) showed good psychometric properties for its use in research and intervention as a promising tool to measure eco-generativity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health

Di Fabio,

Svicher

2023

IJERPH

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“…We are witnessing a "climate chaos," a phase of instability and transformation, which is leading humans into a psychological condition of "systemic insecurity" and a shared feeling of uncertainty [19]. Indeed, difficult emotions arise not only from experiencing the ecological loss itself, but also from living with the awareness of the global scale and complexity of climate change and the harmful social system that contribute to the problem, thus containing ethical dilemmas and deep social criticism of modern society [20,21].…”

Section: Impact On Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Having said that, it is worth to note that certain populations are more vulnerable than others and experience a heavier burden, especially those living in regions affected by climate change and whose livelihood, culture and, spirituality depend strongly on land and natural environments such as indigenous communities and farmers. Furthermore, there are numerous more groups of people that are considered to be at increased risk, namely: those with mental or physical conditions, children, young and elderly people, women, homeless, refugees, ethnic minorities, disadvantaged urban population (such as people living in slums and recent migrants), climate migrants, those with climate-related careers and researchers in fields correlated to climate, and climate activists [3,11,19]. In this paper, we decided to mention three groups that are illustrative: firstly, the young people because they will be inevitably more involved and showed a surprising responsiveness to the climate crisis; secondly, the indigenous communities, considered to be the most significantly affected and deemed to become an example of survival behavior; and, thirdly, scientists due to their role in raising awareness as well as influencing the public opinion by disseminating people may experience in relation to climate change should not be seen as pathological by default: even if they correlate to a lower wellbeing, they often do not meet the criteria for a mental disorder and eventually they can contribute to a more pro-environmental behavior.…”

Section: Vulnerable Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change

et al. 2023

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Human activities like greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and deforestation are largely responsible for climate change and biodiversity loss. The climate is a complex system and scientists are striving to predict, prevent, and address the aforementioned issues in order to avoid reaching tipping points. The threat to humankind is not only physical (ie, heat waves, floods, droughts) but also psychological, especially for some groups. Insecurity, danger, chaos, and an unstable system due to climate change have both short-and long-term psychological effects. In this scenario, the need for new psychological categories is emerging, namely, eco-emotions and psychoterratic syndromes which include eco-anxiety, ecological grief, climate worry, and climate trauma. This paper focuses on these new categories, presenting a summary of each one, including definitions, hypotheses, questions, and testological evaluations, as a useful tool to be consulted by researchers and clinicians and to help them in the therapeutic work. Also, this paper endeavors to distinguish between a psychological stress resulting in a positive outcome, such as pro-environmental behavior, compared to a stress that leads to a psychopathology. Prevention and intervention strategies including social and community support are fundamental to help cope with and mitigate the effect of climate change on mental health. In conclusion, the climate crisis has led to an enormous increase in research on climate change and its consequences on mental health. Researchers and clinicians must be prepared to assess this complex phenomenon and provide help to those who cannot cope with anxiety and climatic mourning.

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“…These are just some of the primary mechanisms through which climate change affects people's health, without even considering the effects of desertification, which drives entire populations to migrate (climate migrations) [13], or the impact of climate change on air quality, with its related pollutants and allergens [14]. As mentioned, climate change also has effects on mental health [15]. A growing body of research links climate change to adverse mental health outcomes, including post-traumatic stress, depression (20-30% prevalence after extreme weather events), and anxiety following exposure to various climate events [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change Perception and Mental Health. Results from a Systematic Review of the Literature

Gianfredi,

Mazziotta,

Clerici

et al. 2024

EJIHPE

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Climate change is one of the main global challenges and influences various aspects of human health. Numerous studies have indeed demonstrated an association between extreme climate-related events and physical and mental health outcomes, but little is still known about the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. In accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. The included studies were original observational studies published in English, reporting the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. A total of 3018 articles were identified. A total of 10 observational studies were included. The period covered in the included studies ranged between 2012 and 2022. Climate change perception is consistently associated with adverse mental health effects across different types of estimates. In particular, the studies identified an association between a higher level of perception/awareness of climate change and depression, anxiety, eco-anxiety, stress, adjustment disorder, substance use, dysphoria, and even thoughts of suicide. Qualitative data underscore the impact on daily activities, contributing to feelings of loss and suicidal ideation. Moreover, climate change perception correlates with lower well-being and resilience. The association between awareness of climate change and mental health is a complex and still poorly explored phenomenon. The main limitations are the high heterogeneity in terms of exposure assessment and data reporting, which hinders quantitative analysis. These results show that climate change perception impacts mental health. Better understanding the phenomenon represents an opportunity to inform public health interventions that promote mental well-being.

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Is climate change affecting mental health of urban populations?

Cited by 5 publications

References 39 publications

The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health

The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health

Eco-emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change

Climate Change Perception and Mental Health. Results from a Systematic Review of the Literature

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