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Globally, heat waves have become an increasingly frequent summer affair, as much of the world faces extremely high temperatures.
The rising frequency and intensity of heat waves can trigger various forms of emotional distress affecting people’s mental health. One such emerging form of distress is eco-anxiety, which is defined by the American Psychological Association as the chronic fear of environmental doom that comes from observing climate change. In other words, people are worried about what a changing planet means for them and future generations.
According to a landmark survey on eco-anxiety, 68 per cent of adults reported experiencing “at least a little eco-anxiety” and 48 per cent of young people report that climate change negatively affects their daily life and functioning.
As a social and behavioural epidemiologist, I study how environments — social and natural — influence individuals and their health. For example, recent research by my team at Simon Fraser University found that a small number of people experience debilitating levels of eco-anxiety that cause cognitive and functional impairments that limit their ability to live happy and healthy lives.
Eco-anxiety: climate change’s new coping mechanism
These worries are normal and even rational. We are connected to the land, air and water around us. So when our environments change, a primal sadness and worry is perfectly appropriate and perhaps even advantageous for survival.
For millennia, people have relied on their ability to monitor, adapt to and migrate within their environment in order to survive. However, what we’re facing with climate change is a whole new level of change.
As highlighted by last year’s IPCC report, the evidence showing that climate change causes greater frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is more certain than any other documented effect of climate change. Unfortunately, the same report predicts that global temperatures will continue to rise and their effects will worsen.
Social connections can help cope with climate change
As our environments continue to change, we will need to adapt to a new era of extreme weather.
Read more: https://theconversation.com/climate-change-and-extreme-heat-are-making-us-more-anxious-187830