I begin by clarifying which dimensions of climate change are most relevant to mental health, distinguishing acute exposures such as extreme weather events from more chronic or diffuse stressors. I then review the empirical evidence linking these hazards to psychological outcomes, before turning to concepts such as eco-anxiety and other forms of climate distress, asking what these terms mean and whether they are scientifically useful. I conclude with a discussion of current conceptual and methodological challenges that make it difficult to estimate the true burden of climate change on mental health, and what a more rigorous research agenda might look like.
About:
Francis Vergunst is Professor of Psychosocial difficulties at the Faculty of Education Sciences at University of Oslo. His research focuses on how climate change affects mental health, with an emphasis on conceptual models, causal pathways, and population-level risk.