Climate Change Can Affect Your Mental Health Too

Research has revealed that climate change can have a negative impact on mental health, and the effects have been thoroughly outlined in different papers. However, there was one particular study that stood out for highlighting the effects of certain natural disasters on the psychological health of people.

This study reviewed more than 200 studies on a similar topic. Furthermore, it has been found that climate change can increase trauma, shock, PTSD, compound stress, anxiety, substance abuse, and depression.

This is primarily because natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and heat waves have immediate effects. But certain long-term changes like changing temperatures and rising sea levels can also significantly impact mental health.

Professor Susan Clayton, a psychology professor at the College of Wooster, and her team found an interesting thing. They claim that climate change inflicts both immediate and long-term effects on human beings.

They determined that Superstorm Sandy had significantly inflicted physical and emotional damage to people. It’s mainly because people were left without homes or possessions while experiencing severe trauma.

Losing all the belongings that you worked hard for is certainly a horrible experience. Victims have to deal with the consequences for months after the storm; sometimes, it takes years for these people to get back to the place they were before the storms.

The researchers specifically looked at the immediate effects of superstorms and extreme weather. And this might possibly be exacerbated by increasing ocean temperatures due to global warming. Furthermore, the study also noted that nature, particularly green spaces, can also help in reducing stress.