Explainer: Mental health effects of climate change

by Ryan McCombs

In the midst of this current climate crisis, scientists say that both our planet and our mental health are at stake.

A study led by Lawrence A. Palinkas, a professor of social policy and health at the University of Sothern California, has concluded that people who have been affected by climate disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, and floods are experiencing high levels of post-traumatic stress. About half of all survivors of extreme weather experience some level of PTSD. Even smaller scale climate events like heat waves can lead to anxiety, mood disorders, suicide, and grief that can last for months on years after the event.

The study shows that heat waves can also lead to higher crime rates, aggression, and suicide. People already on medication for mental health disorders like dementia and schizophrenia are at high risk during heat waves, as they might already struggle to regulate body temperatures due to their medication.

The study also show that existential worry about the future affects young people the most. This has caused increasing levels of anxiety in young adults. Professor Fred Rogers, who teaches geology and environmental science, told me that he believes these feelings on anxiety are caused by seeing all of these problems and the inaction they are followed by.

“There’s not a whole lot of alarm on these issues, which I think can cause a bit of a depression,” said Rogers. Rogers says we can’t give in to these feelings of hopelessness.

Change comes from the people in power. Students need to get involved and elect people who will make the changes they desire.