Nearly every part of the United States has been touched by extreme weather events in the past few years. Ranging from hurricanes, floods, tornados, and fires to extreme heat, both the frequency and severity of these climate change-related events continues to rise. For most people, the mental health consequences of a disaster include mild stress and insomnia, unhealthy coping behaviors such as increased consumption of alcohol, and increased prevalence of mental health issues such depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (APA, 2017). Black and other communities of color are at even greater risk as they have higher rates of mental health conditions and are more likely to live in areas experiencing air pollution, heightened flood risks, elevated temperatures, and poor-quality housing, such as historically redlined areas (Berberian et al., 2022).

Decades of research highlight both the immediate and longer-term mental health challenges caused by extreme weather. Evidence shows that incidents of gender-based violence are often exacerbated by extreme weather, including through contributing factors like stress, social instability, and economic turbulence (Van Daalen et al., 2022). Rates of depression and PTSD are often heightened after disasters and have been well documented in the aftermath of fires, hurricanes, and floods (Schwartz et al., 2015; Mao et al., 2022; Silviera et al., 2021). Findings highlight how people displaced following hurricanes Harvey and Sandy, for example, were particularly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, especially when displaced into temporary shelters (Taioli, 2018).

Even people who have not been directly affected by a climate disaster are experiencing feelings of climate anxiety. The American Psychological Association (APA) even coined a new term to describe this feeling: “eco-anxiety.” Eco-anxiety is defined as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” and can include overwhelming feelings of fear, sadness, and dread about climate change and its effects (APA, 2017). Research shows how an increasing number of Americans are experiencing these concerns. According to a 2020 APA survey, 56% of U.S. adults expressed that climate change is the most important issue facing the world today. This study also found that nearly half of young adults ages 18 to 34 said they felt stress over climate change in their daily lives (APA, 2020).

Although these issues can feel overwhelming, there are many steps you can take in your day to day to help cope with these anxieties.

• Volunteer in your community: This includes finding ways to take action within your community, such as finding a local group or project focused on fighting climate change or building community health resiliency during emergencies. For example, you could join your local Community Emergency Response Team or help with groups operating cooling centers for at-risk populations during extreme heat waves.
• Develop an Emergency Plan: It may also help to be prepared for a future emergency by developing a plan for you and your family ahead of time. This can include packing an emergency kit with essential supplies (visit the CDC’s resources on how to build an emergency kit to learn more), keeping nonperishable food items and water supplies within your home, or developing an evacuation plan in the event of a disaster.
• Talk to a Mental Health Professional: It may also be necessary to seek mental health support, especially in the aftermath of a disaster. Please remember, you are not in this alone, and there are many resources to help!

Citations

American Psychological Association (2017). Mental Health and our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications and Guidance. APA.

American Psychological Association (2020). Majority of US Adults Believe Climate Change Is Most Important Issue Today. APA.

Berberian AG, Gonzalez DJX, Cushing LJ. Racial Disparities in Climate Change-Related Health Effects in the United States. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2022 Sep;9(3):451-464.

Mao W, Eboreime E, Shalaby R, Nkire N, Agyapong B, Pazderka H, Obuobi-Donkor G, Adu M, Owusu E, Oluwasina F, Zhang Y, Agyapong VIO. One Year after the Flood: Prevalence and Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Residents in Fort McMurray. Behav Sci (Basel). 2022 Mar 2;12(3):69.

Schwartz RM, Sison C, Kerath SM, Murphy L, Breil T, Sikavi D, Taioli E. The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the mental health of New York area residents. Am J Disaster Med. 2015;10(4):339-46

Silveira S, Kornbluh M, Withers MC, Grennan G, Ramanathan V, Mishra J.Chronic Mental Health Sequelae of Climate Change Extremes: A Case Study of the Deadliest Californian Wildfire. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 4;18(4):1487.

Taioli E, Tuminello S, Lieberman-Cribbin W, Bevilacqua K, Schneider S, Guzman M, Kerath S, Schwartz RM. Mental health challenges and experiences in displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey: the need for more comprehensive interventions in temporary shelters. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018 Oct;72(10):867-870.

Van Daalen, K.B., Kallesoe, S.S., Davey, F., Dada, D., Jung, L., Singh, MD. Issa, R., Emilian, C.A., Kuhn, I., Keygnaert, I., Nilsson, M. (2022) Extreme events and gender-based violence: a mixed-methods systematic review. The Lancet Planetary Health. 6:6. E504-E523.