Mass. psychologist on the impact climate change has on mental health Share Copy Link Copy

Live on your mental health this morning, keeping your cool when there’s hot weather ahead. Some experts say climate change is making it harder to do. Here to explain is Doctor James McCowan, *** psychologist and co-chair of the Climate and Mental Health Initiative at Mass General Hospital. Doctor, thank you so much for joining us this morning. We want to start with, we know the world is getting warmer, but in your opinion, how many of us are really worried about it? Well good morning Jen and Rhonda, thanks so much for having me. Yeah, about 72% of Americans um believe climate change is real, and about 64% are quite worried or very worried. When we ask teenagers the same kind of question, which you see numbers *** little bit higher, um, around 70% are concerned or very worried about climate change, um, and this was from *** survey of 10,000 youth across nine nations. Um, and we get concerned because they also feel that the government and adults have really failed them. Around 80% feel that way, so it’s *** concerning statistic. Feeling helpless too probably what are some of the signs *** person is struggling? Yeah, we want to make sure that people understand that climate change distress is not *** mental illness or *** pathology. This is sort of *** normal reaction that you might be having to the things that are happening on the planet in your environment, in your local area. So we want to make sure that people understand that. But folks could have um stress, anxiety, children might be, um, and teenagers might doom scroll on their phones *** lot, reading negative news, um, they may also have some um stomach distress, or they might ask lots of questions is my future. Negative, what’s going to happen to the planet, why haven’t you done something, they may, may be asking those sorts of questions. Have you found any treatment or activity that helps? Yeah, great question, an important one. We know that there’s *** lot of solutions actually, um, we really think about three things, we want to educate, connect and get active. So finding someone to um give you good information, there’s *** lot of misinformation out there on climate change, so we want to provide kids with accurate information. And then um have them connect with others, um adults too, I run climate cafes, which is *** space for people to come together to talk about their climate anxiety and distress. Young people can find other people similar to them in their community, so we really want to build *** connection and *** and *** group together and then get involved in action that can be very local or it can be global, um, it can be *** nature restoration project in your local community, it can be talking to your school, um, it can be attending *** protest. And then also voting for policies that are climate friendly is another form of action. And then if you’re really struggling with mental health impacts, *** lot of distress, anxiety you can’t manage, you can see climate aware therapists like myself or other people as part of the uh Climate Psychology Alliance. Oh, lots of great tips. Thank you, Doctor James McCowan, *** psychologist and co-chair of the Climate and Mental Health Initiative at Mass General Hospital. Have *** good weekend. Thank you so much, stay well.