Climate Change Harms You In More Ways Than You Think
Climate Change Harms You in More Ways Than You Think
The topic of climate change has taken a big portion of news articles; consisting of natural
disasters, current events, and future outlooks that make the health of our planet look grim. Many
topics are discussed, including deforestation, rising sea levels, and even human health. However,
when human health is discussed, most articles only talk about physical health, while overlooking the
risk of mental deterioration. The worst part about humanities' risk of mental deterioration... it has
already begun.
Depression
A relationship was found between an increase in temperature and a rate of suicide. In a peer-reviewed journal, every increase in 1°C (1.8°F) resulted in a 1.3% increase in suicides in the U.S, and a 2.1% increase in Mexico. According to
an article from the Guardian, if the temperature goes up the way analysts have projected it to, then
9,000-40,000 additional suicides are predicted to occur from now until 2050. The World Health
Organization (WHO) is an international organization that consists of researchers around the world
pertaining to health and its relationship to the world released this statement through its brief about
the relationship between climate change and mental health.
"Some people experience feelings of loss, helplessness, and frustration
because they feel unable to stop climate change or make a difference"
A group of boys rowing across a flooded area; CNN health
Victims can feel depression in the following scenarios: A farmer losing his or her crops due to
drought, A family losing their home in a flood, one losing another loved one in a hurricane or blizzard,
families forced to leave their home due to rising sea levels. Depression can affect anyone that has been
or currently experiencing natural disaster. Because of the above examples, climate change can
separate families, cost families' homes, or make families financially unstable, resulting in cases of
depression. With depression rates already going up for other reasons, the rise of climate change can
make it worse, adding the feeling of helplessness to people of all ages.
Violence
A research team led by a professor
from Princeton University conducted an investigation regarding a correlation between changes in
climate to increase of violence. Results found that seasonal patterns can indicate the level of
violence within the climatic area.
"The study concluded that even slight departures from 'average temperatures or rainfall amounts substantially increased the risk of conflict on a variety of levels, ranging from individual aggression, such as murder and rape, to country-level political instability and international wars'"
With a combination of sweat and dehydration, an increase in temperature or a decrease in rain can
leave civilians feeling irritable. Irritability usually results in low patience, as well as an increase in
temper which could result in poor decisions being made either done out of anger or with lack of
foresight.
With natural destruction leaving families vulnerable, many of these individuals may get
aggressive and do whatever they can for money, food, and other critical sources that might be at
stake with climate change. The worst problem about this, however, is that when climatic tensions
reach a point that forces humans to respond, humanity will also have to deal with societal chaos and
high rates of crime, stacking this on top of the problems of climate disaster.
Anxiety
Many people seemed to be concerned or even scared about the future of our planet. An article from
The Guardian relates climate change to anxiety:
"Anxiety about the future is also harming people’s mental health, especially the young, the scientists said in a report."
And the following study has proved that this anxiety is real. An international survey took samples
from citizens in multiple countries around the world and a majority of these countries shared the
same opinions.
While it may be good for people to be worried about this very-real problem, this worry could turn
into stress or anxiety. Climate change is a topic that will never go away, and one who gets anxiety
from this topic may result in this anxiety being a part of this individual's lifestyle, damaging one's
mental health.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is when someone keeps reliving a horrific disaster in his or her life.
Severe weathering such as climate change and hurricanes can cause this mental illness. And
apparently, according to a survey, post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common mental illness
to get after a weather disaster. A survey was conducted to 8,000 people in areas of flooding. Results
were based on how affected the individual was and how much emotional damage it was predicted to
cause.
Looking at the graph, most people experiencing a disaster are most vulnerable to post-traumatic
stress disorder, followed by anxiety and depression. In this case, most flood victims would re-live
the moment during certain times, such as maybe where they were during the storm or whenever it
is raining. Perhaps the feeling is hit when expenses are needed to fix the home or to fix injuries,
making the victim much more careful with money in the future. As climate change worsens, weather
patterns become more versatile, resulting in more storms, resulting in more flooding and resulting in
more cases or mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Underprivileged Feel it the Most
Many people reading this article may say that they aren't mentally struggling due to climate change
or that they aren't mentally struggling at all. There may be many factors involved in this reasoning:
the first is that one maybe living in a changing environment but has not changed enough to affect
this critic and the place he or she live. Environments have been deteriorating at different rates. For
example, if you live in the country, you do not breath in as much air pollution, nor do you suffer as
much noise pollution than if you were to live in the city. Another possible reason is that they may be
in a comfortable financial situation where if something goes bad, they have the money to fix the
problem. An example like this includes damage to flooding, going to the grocery store if you're
vegetable garden dies from a drought or living in a wealthy country that has access to valuable
resources such as water, crops, and oil. The reality of the situation, however, is that most of the
world lives under third-world countries. Countries such as India are battling aridity in the spring and
excessive heat in the summer while still needing to grow crops to maintain a staggering growth in
human population. Many countries do not have the type of economy to pay for damaged produced
by other countries creating high amounts of emissions. In an interview, Ian Fry, Special Rapporteur
on climate said the following about Bangladesh, a third-world country he visited after a climatic
disaster.
"I was recently in Bangladesh and saw firsthand the impacts of climate change. And it's unfair
for countries like Bangladesh to have to deal with the cost of climate change on their own,
which is not of their own making. So, the most vulnerable countries produce the least amount
of emissions, yet they're paying the cost of the damage from climate change".
What Can We Do?
Luckily, the mental problems people are facing can be solved, but will require the help of people in
the community and the government. According to WHO's document, disaster risk reduction will help
people seek the resources they need before the natural disaster happens, causing less trauma
compared to a situation where the person has to experience a disaster with nothing to prepare
themselves. Governments have gotten better at issuing state emergencies, in which help inform
civilians to vacate to avoid getting hurt or seeing their home get destroyed. WHO states that health
care workers should be educated about the mental health associated with climatic events so victims
can get the proper treatment they may need. The organization also recommends agencies to warn
of geographical areas that are possible high-risk of mental alteration due to its environmental
well-being. But the biggest change that would be most effect and beneficial to humanity, is to start
reversing the effects of climate change. Major actions such as reducing carbon footprint and reducing
waste would ultimately help our planet, but also, help ourselves.
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