IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i2p218-d1338213.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Keeping Sane in a Changing Climate: Assessing Psychologists’ Preparedness, Exposure to Climate-Health Impacts, Willingness to Act on Climate Change, and Barriers to Effective Action

Author

Listed:
  • Gabriela Stilita

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
    Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia
    Psychology Department, The Prince Charles Hospital–Queensland Health, Chermside, QLD 4032, Australia)

  • Fiona Charlson

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
    Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health, Wacol, QLD 4076, Australia)

Abstract

Evidence of the impact of climate change on mental health is growing rapidly, and healthcare professionals are being called to be active participants in protecting the population’s health. Yet, little is known about psychologists’ understanding of climate-health impacts and their role in mitigation actions. We surveyed Australian psychologists ( N = 59) to examine preparedness in identifying and managing the impact of climate change on mental health, exposure to climate-health impacts, willingness to act, and barriers to acting on climate change. Data was analysed through descriptive and associative methods. We found that participants are not prepared to identify and manage mental health presentations related to climate change, and they are not engaged in climate change mitigation. We identified that a lack of knowledge of climate-health impacts and tackling and mitigation strategies, in addition to ethical concerns, were the main barriers to engagement with communication and advocacy. With the impacts of climate change on mental health expected to soar, there is a clear and urgent need to prepare the psychological workforce to address this public health issue by establishing professional education programs and reframing climate change as a health crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriela Stilita & Fiona Charlson, 2024. "Keeping Sane in a Changing Climate: Assessing Psychologists’ Preparedness, Exposure to Climate-Health Impacts, Willingness to Act on Climate Change, and Barriers to Effective Action," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:218-:d:1338213
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/2/218/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/2/218/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julien Dupraz & Bernard Burnand, 2021. "Role of Health Professionals Regarding the Impact of Climate Change on Health—An Exploratory Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Helen L. Berry & Thomas D. Waite & Keith B. G. Dear & Anthony G. Capon & Virginia Murray, 2018. "The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(4), pages 282-290, April.
    3. Tara J. Crandon & James G. Scott & Fiona J. Charlson & Hannah J. Thomas, 2022. "A social–ecological perspective on climate anxiety in children and adolescents," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(2), pages 123-131, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz & Adam Choryński & Janusz Olejnik & Hans J. Schellnhuber & Marek Urbaniak & Klaudia Ziemblińska, 2023. "Climate Change Science and Policy—A Guided Tour across the Space of Attitudes and Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Montira J. Pongsiri & Andrea M. Bassi, 2021. "A Systems Understanding Underpins Actions at the Climate and Health Nexus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Alan E. Stewart & Harrison E. Chapman & Jackson B. L. Davis, 2023. "Anxiety and Worry about Six Categories of Climate Change Impacts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Feten Fekih-Romdhane & Diana Malaeb & Alvaro Postigo & Fouad Sakr & Mariam Dabbous & Sami El Khatib & Sahar Obeid & Souheil Hallit, 2024. "The relationship between climate change anxiety and psychotic experiences is mediated by death anxiety," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(3), pages 574-581, May.
    5. Shreya S. Shrikhande & Sonja Merten & Olga Cambaco & Tristan Lee & Ravivarman Lakshmanasamy & Martin Röösli & Mohammad Aqiel Dalvie & Jürg Utzinger & Guéladio Cissé, 2023. "“Climate Change and Health?”: Knowledge and Perceptions among Key Stakeholders in Puducherry, India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Lisa Woodland & Priyanjali Ratwatte & Revati Phalkey & Emma L. Gillingham, 2023. "Investigating the Health Impacts of Climate Change among People with Pre-Existing Mental Health Problems: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-33, April.
    7. Tanja Russell, 2024. "A ‘greenhouse affect’? Exploring young Australians’ emotional responses to climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(5), pages 1-20, May.
    8. Margaret I. Rolfe & Sabrina Winona Pit & John W. McKenzie & Jo Longman & Veronica Matthews & Ross Bailie & Geoffrey G. Morgan, 2020. "Social vulnerability in a high-risk flood-affected rural region of NSW, Australia," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 101(3), pages 631-650, April.
    9. Caradee Yael Wright & Candice Eleanor Moore & Matthew Chersich & Rebecca Hester & Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle & Guy Kakumbi Mbayo & Charles Ndika Akong & Colin D. Butler, 2021. "A Transdisciplinary Approach to Address Climate Change Adaptation for Human Health and Well-Being in Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-9, April.
    10. Ivan C. Hanigan & Timothy B. Chaston, 2022. "Climate Change, Drought and Rural Suicide in New South Wales, Australia: Future Impact Scenario Projections to 2099," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-12, June.
    11. Karen Page Winterich & Rebecca Walker Reczek & Tamar Makov, 2024. "How lack of knowledge on emissions and psychological biases deter consumers from taking effective action to mitigate climate change," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 52(5), pages 1475-1494, October.
    12. Gloria Freschi & Marialuisa Menegatto & Adriano Zamperini, 2023. "How Can Psychology Contribute to Climate Change Governance? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    13. Silvio Cristiano & Samuele Zilio, 2021. "Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, November.
    14. Ma, Tianyi & Moore, Jane & Cleary, Anne, 2022. "Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: A scoping review of risk and protective factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    15. Gemma Hayward & Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, 2021. "‘Seeing with Empty Eyes’: a systems approach to understand climate change and mental health in Bangladesh," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-30, March.
    16. Parry, Luke & Radel, Claudia & Adamo, Susana B. & Clark, Nigel & Counterman, Miriam & Flores-Yeffal, Nadia & Pons, Diego & Romero-Lankao, Paty & Vargo, Jason, 2019. "The (in)visible health risks of climate change," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    17. Kingsley S. Orievulu & Collins C. Iwuji, 2021. "Institutional Responses to Drought in a High HIV Prevalence Setting in Rural South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Audrey de Nazelle & Charlotte J. Roscoe & Aina Roca-Barcelό & Giselle Sebag & Gudrun Weinmayr & Carlos Dora & Kristie L. Ebi & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen & Maya Negev, 2021. "Urban Climate Policy and Action through a Health Lens—An Untapped Opportunity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-9, November.
    19. Manuela Repetto & Alessandra Bianco Prevot & Adelina Brizio & Arianna Boldi & Melania Talarico & Silvia Stanchi & Davide Palma & Daniela Acquadro Maran, 2024. "Digital Escape Rooms: A Resource for Environmental Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-12, September.
    20. Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Margaret N. Lumley & Charlotte B. Winder & Basem Gohar & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2023. "“An Incredible Amount of Stress before You Even Put a Shovel in the Ground”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Farming Stressors in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-23, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:218-:d:1338213. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.