Adapting to eco-anxiety: Experiences from Zambia

This chapter presents case examples of eco-anxiety in Africa. The rural communities in Zambia are highly dependent on agriculture, which has already been much affected by the climate crisis. The chapter examines various reactions and coping methods, along with gaps where further research is needed. It analyzes eco-anxiety and the anxiety and hysteria brought about by COVID-19. It has shown that although humans and nature have lived symbiotically for centuries, anthropogenic activities were detrimental to this relationship. Therefore, for humans to enjoy their ancient relationship with nature, their destructive activities on nature needed to be minimized. However, there have been some exaggerations regarding the effects of climate change. Predictions of doom, extinction, and other alarming words were more responsible for eco-anxiety. Despite these alarms and actual danger, humans could adapt. As the world was coming to terms with climate change and eco-anxiety, COVID-19 emerged with even more devastation and threats to humanity. Unlike climate change, COVID-19 was sudden, fast, and fatal while restricting human activities, thereby affecting all aspects of life. It was therefore more anxiety-causing than climate change. Future research should focus on reducing alarmism, enhancing human adaptation to climate change, minimizing its effects, and preparing for pandemics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Eco-anxiety and pandemic distress: Psychological perspectives on resilience and interconnectedness

Through much of 2020 and into 2021, nations throughout the world locked down because of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Before then, the most pressing global anxiety for many people was climate anxiety. However, these phenomena are in many ways interconnected. Many of the elements in the global economic and logistical systems cause both ecological problems and vulnerability to pandemics. When pandemics happen, they influence ecological problems. In turn, ecological dynamics shape pandemics. This book focuses on deeper aspect of interconnectedness: the psychological and social dimensions of both pandemics and the ecological crisis. The chapters that follow explore various ways in which pandemics and the ecological crisis threaten health and well-being. The main focus is on humans, but these phenomena also affect other creatures and ecosystems, indeed the whole planetary ecosystem. The book examines both coronavirus anxiety and climate anxiety as part of the broader categories of eco-anxiety. "Eco-anxiety" is the general term for anxiety caused by all kinds of ecological problems, while "climate anxiety" refers especially to those forms of eco-anxiety that are significantly shaped by climate change. In historical perspective, eco-anxiety, climate anxiety, and coronavirus anxiety are all instances of global factors causing anxiety, whether or not there are already significant physical impacts. These have been called "macrosocial worries", and they could also be called global anxieties. The book explicates various dimensions of coronavirus anxiety and climate anxiety by comparing their occurrence and phases. The chapters explore climate anxiety, coronavirus anxiety, and the various ways in which people and societies can better cope with them. Coping is closely connected with resilience, the ability to maintain functioning in the midst of changing circumstances. We live in unusual times, with pandemics and vast ecological threats, but these crises have also sparked new understanding about the need for connection and resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Setting up for practice with eco-conscious clients

This chapter discusses a panoply of practical ways to make the work of therapists more ecologically sustainable. It points out that with growing eco-anxiety worldwide, the need for sensitivity to ecological dynamics is increasing. Drawing on the psychological literature, the chapter identifies pragmatic steps therapists can take, such as integrating plants into therapeutic settings. It also touches upon one specific outcome of the COVID-19 crisis: the vast increase in videoconferencing, which has also been used in therapy. With the rise of eco-anxiety, therapists can anticipate seeing an increase of clients concerned about the state of the environment. Eco-anxiety is, put simply, "a specific form of anxiety relating to stress or distress caused by environmental changes and our knowledge of them". Some symptoms include panic attacks, insomnia, obsessive thinking, appetite changes, and anxiety about the future of the planet. The chapter covers ways that therapists (and anyone who works in an office) can make their settings more eco-sensitive to meet the needs of their clients and the planet. It concludes with suggestions for maintaining an eco-conscious practice during a pandemic. The chapter discusses the importance of both the office environment and the crucial role of nature in design. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Mental Health and Climate Change. The Birth of Eco-Anxiety in the Spanish-Language Press

In recent years we have witnessed a great deal of media interest in climate change, echoing the growing public concern about a complex phenomenon with daunting consequences. This paper examines the impact of concepts such as "eco-anxiety” and "solastalgia” in the Spanish and Latin American written and digital press. These neologisms attempt to explain the emotional effects of climate change on mental health. Between 2015 and 2019 the words "solastalgia” and "Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD)” slowly made their way into the media, until 2019, when the term "eco-anxiety” became relatively successful in the newspapers. In addition to analysing the factors involved in the birth and evolution of this concept, the study describes the most frequently cited emotions, such as fear, anguish, stress, sadness and guilt. The results obtained indicate, on the one hand, that eco-anxiety is still a vague idea and not very present in the media, too often linked to negative emotions, in contradiction of clinical psychology advice. Meanwhile, emotions such as anger or indignation, which would enable a collective response to climate change, are often neglected. © 2022 Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations. All rights reserved.

Telepsychology as the primary mental health care response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines

In the Philippines, by the end of January 2020 strong mitigating measures were taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The standard procedures that were practiced before the pandemic were no longer applicable because of the quarantine and distancing protocol. Schools, churches, shopping malls, leisure centers, and private clinics, with the exception of hospitals, pharmacies, and other establishments that offer essential items and services, closed down. There was no other recourse but to use technologies to transact business and to provide services. The pandemic has triggered bio-psychosocial distress and has aggravated "eco-anxiety" among those affected by these endless calamities. Unpublished reports have revealed that the pandemic has triggered anxiety, sleeplessness, panic attacks, depression, and maladjustment. Medical and other front-line personnel are among those experiencing psychological discomforts. The author draws from his own work in providing telepsychological support and discusses profound issues related to justice and ethics. Multiple factors in the Filipino society complicate telepsychology, starting with the fact that many people have slow internet connections. The author also proposes amendments to existing policies and protocols to make telepsychology more accessible. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Plan for a Turbulent Future: Your Roadmap to Personal Resilience for a Changing Climate

Millions of lives and business have either been lost or significantly impacted by COVID-19. Yet, many are warning that climate change will be much more devastating over the coming decades. Reality is starting to set in. We are not going to achieve our global mitigation targets;we probably won't even come close. Individuals faced with this reality react differently, from willful ignorance to anxiety and depression, all normal reactions. If you believe in science and understand the likelihood of our failure to meet our targets, you need to accept and plan for an unknown, challenging future. We may be individually powerless to stop climate change, but we certainly can act in ways that will help us better face the consequences. This book provides a structured approach to plan and prepare today for a world rocked by a turbulent climate. © 2022 River Publishers.

Healing the Earth, transforming the mind: how the COVID-19 pandemic generates new insights through the Econarrative writing workshop

In this chapter we will analyse how we can initiate a process of transformation in our ways of perceiving the relationships with living ecosystems in the context of the global health crisis unfolding in the Anthropocene era. More specifically, we will examine the narratives produced by the students at Paul Valery University in Montpellier, France, in the frame of an international project of writing workshops (ECONARRATIVE) centered on the pandemic and ecology, held from January to March 2021, with the support of the MSH-SUD (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme) in Montpellier.

Climate anxiety in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify the level and the correlates of climate anxiety in Germany. STUDY DESIGN: This was a quota-based online survey. METHODS: We used data collected in mid-March 2022 from a sample of the general adult population (n = 3091 individuals aged 18-74 years; March 2022). Climate anxiety was quantified using the Climate Anxiety Scale (ranging from 1 to 7, with higher scores corresponding to higher levels of climate anxiety). RESULTS: The average level of climate anxiety in Germany was 2.0 (standard deviation [SD]: 1.2). It differed between subgroups (e.g. individuals aged 18-29 years: 2.4, SD: 1.3; individuals aged 65-74 years: 1.8, SD: 1.0). Log-linear regressions showed that climate anxiety was higher among younger individuals (ß = -0.005, P < .001), full-time employed individuals (compared with retired individuals, ß = 0.07, P < .01), individuals without chronic conditions (compared with individuals with at least one chronic conditions, ß = -0.08, P < .001), individuals already vaccinated against COVID-19 (compared with individuals not vaccinated against COVID-19, ß = 0.10, P < .001), individuals with higher levels of coronavirus anxiety (ß = 0.06, P < .001), and individuals with greater fear of a conventional war (ß = 0.09, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a rather low level of climate anxiety. It also revealed some correlates of greater climate anxiety such as higher levels of coronavirus anxiety or greater fear of war. Knowledge about the correlates may assist in addressing individuals at risk for high levels of climate anxiety.

Climate Change Impacts on Mental Health Will Lead to Increased Digitization of Mental Health Care.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The evidence for the impact of climate change on the mental health of individuals and communities is reviewed, and the literature on the importance of digital systems in reducing carbon emissions is addressed. RECENT FINDINGS: Most of the climate change impacts on mental health are disaster related, although recent literature on "eco-anxiety," often described as anxiety about the long-term effects of climate change, is emerging. There is strong evidence that the use of telepsychiatry and digital approaches to mental health care can reduce carbon emissions by reducing travel for patients and providers as well as provide effective distance care in disasters. Hybrid care, asynchronous consultations, and care at home are all innovations that will further reduce carbon emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the digitization of psychiatry, and climate change will continue to drive these changes in the future. Much more research on these overlapping issues is required.

"We Are Running Out of Time": Temporal Orientation and Information Seeking as Explanatory Factors of Climate Anxiety among Young People

(1) Background: Climate change is a major threat to human health and new research is highlighting its effects on physical health. However, there is still little research on the psychological effects, particularly on young people, who seem to be disproportionately affected. (2) Objectives: In this context, we conducted a study focusing on the young adult population to identify psychosocial and behavioral factors that may modulate the intensity of this anxiety. (3) Method: A cross-sectional study by questionnaire was carried out on a sample of 369 young French adults. Data were analyzed via structural equation modelling. (4) Results: The main results suggest that: (1) CFC and information seeking predict climate anxiety, which in turn predicts the emotional consequences of exposure to information about the negative consequences of climate change;(2) information seeking moderates the effects of CFC on climate anxiety. (5) Conclusions: This study highlights both the role of temporal orientation and information seeking on the climate anxiety experienced by young adults. These results provide an interesting lever for health professionals to work with this population who may be more vulnerable to climate anxiety than others. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Psych is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Confronting the Crisis of COVID-19: Evolution of a Model for Preservation of People and the Planet

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared an international crisis by the World Health Organization in March 2020, a group of activists, academics, performers, influencers, and innovators in diverse fields of the environment and mental health, representing government, civil society, academia, and the arts, came together to plan a way to mitigate the impact of the crisis on people and the planet. The resulting 1-day conference, held virtually on May 17, 2020, included didactic and experiential modules bridging mental health, education, and environmental initiatives to help people thrive during the crisis, as well as to provide sustainable adaptation and mitigation models for communities and the broader global population. The event sparked the development and expansion of an educational platform with hybrid online and on-location offerings which are ongoing and growing in outreach. The initiative addresses several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely 2 end hunger, 3 health and well-being, 4 education for all, 11 sustainable cities and communities, 12 responsible consumption and production, 13 climate action, 14 life below water, 15 life on land, and 17 multistakeholders partnerships. This article documents the various components of this applied project entitled, the "COVID-19 What's Next?"conference. Specifically, the article discusses the planning and creation of the conference, the multistakeholder partners, production and marketing efforts, implementation and outcomes, and subsequent steps to make the conference initiative sustainable. © 2022 Hogrefe Publishing.

Novel ecosystemic awareness: Singing-dancing-laughing with Earth

When was the last time you danced and sang together with other people, just for the joy of it? As the COVID pandemic exacerbates mental health issues, we are seeing also a rise in so-called eco-anxiety. Awareness of humans forming part of larger ecologies can no longer be ignored as a medically relevant topic. Can contemporary eco-somatic practices contribute to shifting eco-anxieties, and to shaping human awareness of ecosystemic diversity and embeddedness? Singing-dancing together are time-honoured ways of maintaining and restoring individual or group health and happiness, and engendering embeddedness. Drawing on research with egalitarian Baka groups in Central Africa and with shifting-sliding fascia connective tissues, the proposition made here is to activate singing-dancing-laughing, not only as a method of somatic vocal training or pedagogy, but also as a way o f shaping community and honouring ecosystemic nestedness. Through this, we may further come to appreciate Earth as co-guider in eco-somatic practices.

Eco-Anxiety and Pastoral Care: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Suggestions

The environmental crisis is producing an increasing number of both physical and psychological impacts. This article studies the challenge of eco-anxiety for pastoral care, drawing from both interdisciplinary research and ecological theology. The aim is to help both practitioners and researchers to encounter eco-anxiety more constructively. The rapidly growing research about eco-anxiety and therapy is discussed in relation to pastoral care. The various forms of eco-anxiety are briefly analyzed. The role of the caregivers is discussed by using sources that study the challenges of therapists in relation to eco-anxiety. The existential depths of eco-anxiety are probed in the light of recent research and older existentialist theory. It is pointed out that the political character of ecological issues, especially climate change issues, causes many kinds of challenges for pastoral care. As the constructive conclusion of the article, various possibilities and resources for encountering eco-anxiety in pastoral care are discussed, along with the connections with wider pastoral theology. It is argued that pastoral care providers should engage in self-reflection about their own attitudes and emotions related to ecological issues, preferably with the support of trusted peers or mentors. Various organizational developments are also needed to support caregivers. Dialectical thinking is one tool that can help to navigate the complex dynamics related to environmental responsibility, eco-emotions, and questions of hope or hopelessness.