Similarly, people with mental illness are often described as refusing to take medication or seeking treatment. so that By pushing away to help, they choose to get sick. Although they can create good theatrical effects, these depictions are inaccurate, simplistic and harmful to those suffering from these diseases.
discriminate
Other popular beliefs about the causes of mental illness are based on biological determinism. Although there is a clear connection between genes and many mental illnesses, it needs to be understood that genes almost always play the role of “primers”, that is, a superposition of the possibility that mental illnesses occur more or less.
As diseases such as depression and anxiety become more common and more openly discussed, fortunately, this misguided causal model is beginning to disappear. As we gradually understand its gradients, nuances and subtleties, mental illness becomes less and less “alienated.”
Despite this, patients still often feel that this is their own The fault is that they are sick.A total of 85% of people with depression A study, For example, suffer “self-blame”.
This self-abuse can also lead to shame.almost 90% of patients In the UK, a country that is considered progressive on these issues, they say their lives have been negatively affected by stereotypes and discrimination.
The claim that climate change may lead to personal behavioral choices and the genes that cause mental illness is clearly a bit far-fetched.
Biosphere
But the modern concept of the causes of mental illness has gone far beyond these narrow understandings. Mental illness is more social, relational and environmental than previously thought.
Life experience, especially physical and psychological trauma, as well as our perceived social status, pressure, loss, conflict, poverty, belief in the future, etc., can lead to the occurrence and severity of mental illness.
All these important factors are closely related to climate change. Climate change is a systemic issue. By undermining the foundation of what we need to do well, it is possible to undermine the stability of our minds.
As social people embedded in the network of relationships with each other and our environment, it is not surprising that destroying our biosphere and all other social, economic, and political things can lead to mental illness. The few examples listed below explain some of the approaches.
Chronic pain
Physical sensation can have a considerable impact on mental health. Chronic pain may be the most extreme example.
For example, in the United States, it is be found Those who suffer from fibromyalgia, which is a chronic disease that affects the spine and brain—— An amazing Ninety percent of patients are women, and they are five times more likely to be severely affected by anxiety.
Multiple sclerosis is similar, and patients are twice as likely to suffer from major depression. People with frequent neck and back pain, migraines, and menstrual-related pain are also at higher risk of mental illness.
The fact that pain can cause mental illness is not surprising, but there is an additional step. Our environment increases the level of pain, which makes us more susceptible to mental illness.
It is well known that natural disasters will produce new cases of chronic pain, including brand-new injured cases and people who are already taking prescription pain relievers A new level of pain; Especially if their supply is interrupted due to weather events.
However, in addition, the most recent Landmark research Among them, more than 10,000 people found that, due to low pressure, high humidity, precipitation and strong winds, the symptoms of chronic pain patients significantly worsened in extreme weather.
Climate-related weather events will only accelerate this situation and the related psychological struggles.
Violence and abuse
Trauma is a well-documented driver of mental illness.one learn, In Norway, it was found that 91% of mental health patients had experienced trauma before hospitalization, while 69% had suffered multiple traumas.
More specifically, violence and domestic abuse are key factors in the development of mental illness, especially post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and substance abuse disorders.
This abuse is Main cause The number of deaths among women of childbearing age, Mainly due to “Mental health consequences.”
Childhood abuse is also a major mental problem.Children who are abused and neglected are Four times the likelihood Development of psychosis, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder.
The impact of climate change is already increasing the incidence of intimate partner violence and child abuse.
Recent longitudinal time series learn It was found that violence against women increased significantly after the heat wave, the most extreme of which was that the risk of intimate partners killing women after the Madrid heat wave increased by 40%.
One system assesment Starting in 2019, it has also been found that children have suffered alarmingly high levels of abuse after natural disasters, including physical violence against boys and sexual violence against girls.
inequality
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett exhibit In their complex and powerful book Inner level That It’s not just material wealth that matters relatively Worse, this can lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
This is mainly because unequal societies are more likely to establish identity and self-worth in terms of status, and to evaluate the relationship we think we have with others.
A meta-analysis Lancet Psychiatry It is found that despite the high level of per capita GDP, citizens of highly unequal countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom seem to have much worse mental health than equal countries with similar economic conditions such as Japan.
How our brain processes the interaction between dominance and obedience, as well as psychological, hormonal, and emotional responses are thought to be responsible for the differences.
The climate collapse has been clearly shown to exacerbate global inequality.We have seen a lot of Increase by 25% Inequality between countries and even organizations like the World Bank and WTO have warned that we will lose decades of development progress due to further warming.
Domestic inequality will also increase.One Detailed UN documents It outlines what the author calls a “vicious circle”, that is, people who are initially disadvantaged are most affected by climate change and then fall into poverty further, which means that they are more susceptible to future events.
The fact that the collapse of the climate will also lead to intensified conflicts between social classes is not surprising, because the richest 1% Emit more carbon It is 50% higher than the bottom 50% globally.
As maladaptive social and economic systems respond to crises in this way, the impact of inequality on mental health will only become more extreme.
guilty
One factor that may be surprising is guilt. Feelings of excessive guilt are usually a symptom of a mental health condition, but they can also exacerbate or even lead to the onset of the disease.
Considering our personal responsibility for climate change, we have great concerns. Guilt can cause depressive symptoms and severe anxiety. It can also lead to higher stress levels, which can lead to substance use disorders and other problems.
inside Biggest investigation Among young people and climate-related psychological distress so far, more than half of the 10,000 interviewees were found to feel guilty about climate change.
This will have a substantial impact on the mind.This First comprehensive study Investigations using MRI scans revealed unexpected physical evidence.
Researchers have repeatedly imaged the brains of more than 300 children in 10 years and found that those who suffered “pathological guilt” at a young age would eventually develop “structural abnormalities” in brain regions related to anxiety and depression, leading to later life. Emotional disorders.
State of the world
Our view of the future also affects our mentality.One International survey A few years ago, YouGov found that 71% of people believed that the state of the world was declining, and only 5% opposed it.
For a species that relies heavily on progress and improved narrative, these results should be worrying. The fear, panic, and nihilism wrapped in these predictions are psychological realities that many people must endure every day.
We have little historical relevance to this. During the Cold War, as the United States and the Soviet Union threatened the earth with nuclear doomsday, fear and anxiety began. In 1979, 71% of American children Thought there was going to be a catastrophic attack.
This has not surprisingly affected their mental health. A clichéd contemporary joke involves asking people: “What do you want to be? if you have grown up? ”
This bleak worldview is compounded by overwhelming powerlessness, living under constant threats, yet powerless. Although the nature is different, it sounds familiar.
Pandemic
Covid showed us a similar scene. Although the impact of isolation and social restrictions on social interactions has led to a significant decline in self-reported happiness, so has the global population’s general fear of social disintegration and disasters.
Research shows that since the pandemic began, anxiety and depression in the UK have risen by nearly 100%.In the United States, nearly 300 percentage.
A British study even found that because of the pandemic, one in ten people had thoughts of suicide – and they only asked about the situation in the first two weeks.
This Same research Conclusive evidence was found that, due to the pandemic, people with lower economic ladders and other disadvantaged groups are more likely to suffer psychologically.
Climate collapse is like a beast that is equally threatening and may end civilization. Although it will eventually affect everyone, it will have an uneven physical and mental impact.
in conclusion
The mental health consequences of climate collapse may sound like secondary issues, not as important as the physical effects of climate change: hunger and death, conflict, forced relocation, and loss of houses and homes.
But mental illness itself is an urgent crisis.Mental diseases already account for 13% of the global disease burden and are expected to become Major causes of death and illness Globally by 2030.
A worrying 14.3% of deaths worldwide Attributable to mental health problems, and mental conditions are responsible for 32.4 percentage Suffer from a disability in all years. Now there is only depression The second biggest reason Disability worldwide.
People also don’t get the support they need. Especially in low-income and middle-income countries, 76% and 85 percentage Of patients do not receive any treatment.
Due to the chain reaction of thinking about the crisis and front-line influence, the climate collapse will make the situation worse.
Unfortunately, like the gas that caused this devastating disaster, these conditions are largely invisible. We cannot allow this situation to continue.
Climate disorder is a real and immediate threat. It is time for us to realize the material impact of the ecological crisis on our thinking. If we do this, we will be closer to bringing the life experience of mental illness into focus. Only in this way can we fight back.
This author
Charlie Hertzog Young is a researcher and writer who studies climate, progressive politics, and mental health. He tweeted @CHertzogYoung. Read the first part of this series: Diagnosing climate disorders.
If you have a mental health problem, you can contact Samaritan Or learn more from charity mind.
