The report, “Mental Health and Our Changing Climate,” published earlier this year in collaboration with leading psychologists and the American Psychological Association and EcoAmerica’s Climate for Health, chronicles the impacts of climate change on Americans’ health and psychological well-being, including increases in stress and anxiety, loss of community identity, heightened aggression and violence, and many others. It builds on the 2014 Beyond Storms and Droughts research and is intended to further inform and empower health and medical professionals, community and elected leaders, and the public.
The report discusses the pathways through which these and other impacts on human well-being will arise, why some communities will be hit harder than others, and how psychological impacts interact with physical health. This guide will serve as a trusted resource for professionals as we navigate what it means to live in a world with a changing climate.