RESEARCH
Eco-Emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change
Summary
This publication explores the growing area of mental health issues related to climate change. It points out that human actions are causing significant changes to the planet, leading not only to physical threats like extreme weather but also to psychological impacts for many people. Because of this, new ways of understanding and categorizing these emotional and mental responses are emerging. The authors discuss terms like eco-anxiety, ecological grief, and climate worry, which describe the distress people feel due to the climate crisis and environmental degradation. The paper aims to provide a helpful overview of these new categories for researchers and therapists, helping them to understand and address these emerging mental health challenges. It also highlights the importance of distinguishing between helpful emotional responses that might lead to positive environmental action and those that become overwhelming and potentially lead to mental health problems.
The paper emphasizes that climate change is causing instability and a sense of insecurity, leading to difficult emotions related to ecological loss and the social systems contributing to the problem. It outlines various eco-emotions and psychoterratic syndromes, providing definitions and explanations for terms such as eco-guilt, climate anxiety, eco-paralysis, climate trauma, ecological grief, and solastalgia. The authors also discuss groups that are particularly vulnerable to these psychological impacts, including young people and indigenous communities. Furthermore, the paper touches upon the need for appropriate assessment tools and therapeutic approaches that acknowledge the reality and gravity of the climate crisis and support individuals in coping with these challenges, while also recognizing the broader social and political context.
