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The paper, Climate worry: associations with functional impairment, pro-environmental behaviours and perceived need for support, has been published in BMC Psychology.
Dr Fuso Nerini, an Honorary Research Associate at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and also Associate Professor and Director of the KTH Climate Action Centre at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, worked with a team of seven other researchers all based in Sweden. The research team had backgrounds in climate/sustainability, psychology, psychiatry and global health.
Dr Fuso Nerini said:
"Understanding how climate change impacts individuals' mental health - and how this, in turn, affects their ability to engage in pro-environmental behaviours - is crucial. This knowledge forms the foundation for developing strategies to manage climate-related distress, promoting both individual well-being and collective environmental action."
In the paper the team of researchers say: “The changing climate increasingly affects human health and well-being through the disruption of ecological, geographical, and societal systems. While there is an extensive body of research on the climate’s impact on physical health, there is a growing demand to understand and address its mental health challenges.”
They say that worry is one of several psychological reactions to climate change and its current and projected consequences. The terms “climate anxiety” and “climate worry” are often used interchangeably. However, climate anxiety is a broader concept that includes emotional, cognitive, physiological, and behavioural components.Their research involved a cross-sectional survey targeting adult individuals who experience climate worry.
Read the full story on the Environmental Change Institute website.