A convergence is happening between the climate and mental health movements, and social impact practitioners need to pay attention. Globally, the abrupt impacts of climate catastrophes (super typhoons, extreme heat, flooding, etc.) as well as slow-onset events (e.g., sea-level rise, melting of ice, etc.) are causing compounding distress and trauma and are leaving people, particularly the world's youth, concerned for the future. Many others are feeling distress as they process the realities of widespread environmental and biodiversity loss.

Without coordinated action and deep integration of responses to climate change and mental health, we risk insurmountable strain on our world and people’s mental health and well-being, leading to higher rates of mental ill health, moral and spiritual disarray, and strained systems of response. Characterizing the relationship between these two complex problems is often challenging because the true tolls of the mental health and climate crises are inseparable.

While the climate and mental health movements are getting increased attention separately, a small set of leaders working across these movements are prioritizing and integrating mental health and climate advocacy as a unified effort. From climate scientists to psychologists, these actors are creating bi-directional efforts that serve both causes. Importantly, they see these two global crises as inextricably linked, highlighting that people across these movements must integrate these fields of practice rather than working in silos.

This integration may seem obvious due to climate change’s collective impact and threat. Yet, all individuals in social impact face a similar challenge, whether addressing things like housing, health care, or poverty. Inequities are often directly connected to issues related to mental health, as things like experiencing discrimination or trauma impact our ability to achieve well-being and increase the prevalence of depression and anxiety. Similarly, the detrimental impacts of climate change on mental health and the value of connection to nature in supporting well-being are causes for these issues to come together.

Beyond prioritizing mental health education and interventions in our initiatives, social impact practitioners across all areas often face personal challenges as we dedicate our time and energy to witnessing and mitigating the world’s inequities. In recent years, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have heard repeated calls for self-care in the face of what can be exhausting and painful work.

At this critical moment in history, we have been asking ourselves how to engage in this difficult work beyond cliche advice about self-care. How do we build sustainable environments for advocacy, activism, and change?

Read the full article about climate change and mental health by Lian Zeitz, John Jamir Benzon R. Aruta and Kelly Davis at Stanford Social Innovation Review.