On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 I attended an online webinar produced by the American Public Health Association entitled “Climate Change and Mental Health.” The webinar was free thanks to a grant from the U.S. Center For Disease Control and Prevention.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Work Psychotherapist I have grown increasingly interested in this topic as I have noticed an increased level of tension and social reactivity among individuals, families, communities, states, the nation, and the people on the planet which all of homo sapiens inhabits except those handful of people orbiting in the International Space Station.
The amount of information provided during this webinar is considerable. Perhaps the most useful aspect was the utilization of the public health model in attempting to sort out and make sense of the myriad facts and perspectives.
One of the things that stood out for me is that people in lower economic classes will bear the brunt of the negative impacts of climate change because of their lack of resources as compared to more affluent people that have the resources to escape from toxic geographic areas and have access to other means to mitigate the toxic effects.
People suffering from mental and physical disabilities are especially vulnerable and are doubly at risk if they also lack resources.
People who meet with me in my office complaining of depression and anxiety symptoms find the symptoms exacerbated by climate factors and fears. We are challenged by trying to create resilience in managing these toxic and sometimes traumatic events and situations. People are empowered by validation that their fears are appropriate and by the provision of resources to manage these fears both individually, in families, in communities, and at the state, nation and planetary level. People are empowered by tools of agency and diminishment of helplessness, futility, and fatalism.
What resources have you found helpful in creating a sense of agency and resilience for your clients and community?