After reading the few most recent chapters of "The Ministry for the Future", I have been deeply interested by Frank's life after the India Heat Wave. Mental health is a very broad topic, but it is something my interests reside in. I want to take a moment and discuss the impacts that climate change currently has on mental health.
Stress, anxiety, and trauma are three very real issues that most people experience at some point in their lives. The increasing temperatures and worsened severity and frequency of natural disasters is going to (and already is) take a massive psychological toll on human's mental states.
More than two-thirds of US adults have expressed some sort of anxiety related feelings towards even just the subject of climate change. The issue with this is that most people are anxious about climate change, yet only 4 in 10 individuals have not made changes in their behavior to aim to help reduce climate change according to the American Psychological Association.
In the book, Frank experienced something that most cannot even fathom when he was in India. Because of his experience he sustained a lot of trauma that completely altered his psychological wellbeing. This is real and can happen. Research says that with increased global temperatures, we should expect to see more aggressive and criminal behaviors due to psychological exhaustion. Along with aggression, we could see a disastrous increase in mental health disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, as well as dementia even.
One statistic I found interesting yet worrisome, was the correlation between drought and farmer suicide. Economic hardships are costing lives due to these droughts that are only projected to get worse as time goes on. Droughts have unfortunately increased farmer suicide by 19%. This correlation was found through studies of suicide related deaths of farmers throughout drought season.
There is so much more I could dive into about this topic, but I think that this is enough depressing statistics for now. We need to not only worry about how climate change will affect us physically, but also mentally.
I enjoyed you tying this back to our book because I have also been interested in these topics. I believe it is already a statistic that hotter temperatures correlate to increased crime. As you said, this may be due to more aggravation and exhaustion from heat.
ReplyDeleteClimate change will cause some serious metal health problems. Adding stress and anxiety to people which could be avoided.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this. I often forget how much anxiety and stress thinking about the climate change puts in me and the real impact it would have on the people that lose their homes. It is clear from your post that we need to be more aware of this.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post to highlight the mental toll of climate change. Not only do people continue to work toward change and see no results, they are not guaranteed safety or land to call home. When people are pushed to the brink of their mental limit, it is possible that more crime, outrageous protests, and violent action might take place. However, it could be justified when governments worldwide refuse to see the reality and help those who are most vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t really talk about this much, but I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that crime and violence is extremely heightened with storms and wildfires and climate change in general. An example of this is the LA wildfires, crime was heightened as emergency responders were too busy dealing with the fires. but I also think that it is heightened due to the mental illnesses among people and causes violence.
DeleteWow, this is definitely a topic I haven’t even thought about before. The statistics on trauma exposure and even farmer suicide were very eye-opening. This proves that climate change isn’t just about physical destruction, but also profound emotional and mental scars.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably my favorite blog post to date. This subject is definitely not touched on enough and the correlation between drought and farmer suicides is extremely disheartening. Not only does this topic tie extremely well with our current book, but it also sparked my thoughts on Nomad Century and how mental health will likely decrease at an extremely rapid rate if we are forced to migrate without proper planning and procedure.
ReplyDeleteThe psychological toll of climate change, evidenced by rising anxiety, trauma, and mental health disorders, underscores the urgent need to address not only the physical impacts of environmental crises but also the profound effects on mental well-being, particularly among vulnerable populations like farmers facing economic hardships due to drought.
ReplyDeleteThe rise of electric bikes and vehicles presents a crucial opportunity to reduce harmful emissions from traditional gas-powered motorcycles, as they offer a cleaner, more efficient alternative that appeals to a growing audience, particularly among younger riders captivated by their performance and environmental benefits.
ReplyDeleteI think this comment was on the E-bikes...
DeleteThis is a very insightful and inspiring post. I never considered the impacts mentally or even physically from climate change and global warming. I didn't even realize the toll my mental health was taking while in this class because of how doomed everything felt.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you bringing this up. In all our discussions it is hard to ignore how bleak everything feels. It is so easy to collapse into hopelessness and depression in the face of the sheer size of these issues.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Brooke! You highlight an important but often ignored side of climate change. How can communities and governments better support those struggling with climate-related stress? And how can we help people turn their worries into action?
ReplyDeleteThis is such an important topic! These books have really opened my eyes. I thought I had more time to enjoy the earth and sights before the end of the world. I will not lie, it is hard to not spiral into depression knowing plans I had for my future may just be a dream because in no reality can they exist.
ReplyDeleteThank you for addressing this topic. I feel like mental health is often disregarded especially when associated with climate change effects, but with considering the damage that is already occurring, it is a very real thing and deserves more attention!
ReplyDeleteI have also been recently thinking more about the psychological impacts of climate change and was thinking about making a similar post myself, I am glad to see others are having the same thoughts and I found that your blog post effectively covers a majority of the various factors that can play into affecting the wellbeing of those impacted by climate change and the ones around them.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, I really like the range of mental health issues you address. The APA and other health organizations are now recognizing and trying to address these climate-related health impacts. Farmers committing suicide is especially common in India - you might look into that.
ReplyDeleteMental health is really important in this day and age, it's normal to worry about our future and future of future generations. I like how you are bringing light to this and relating it to what we are talking about in class. Hopefully, people are able to combat what the changing climate will do to their mental health.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful post! Mental health impacts from climate change are definitely not talked about as much as environmental and economic impacts. But it can be argued that mental health is equally or more valuable.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a great post and something I would've never thought of. Mental health has only recently become something that people are accepting and trying to treat. And with our environment suffering, I can only imagine how much worse it can get for us. I think it's so important to stress taking care of yourself and I wonder how this will affect those who already struggle with mental health or are on meds. Will it make them worse or will they be less affected than people who didn't struggle with it before. Very interesting topic.
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