Anguish, despair and grief due to climate crisis are valid psychological responses

You may have read news reports of life threatening and devastating floods, hurricanes and heatwaves, all driven by human-induced climate change. Perhaps you have heard that 2024 is due to be ruled the warmest on record.

You’ll know that without significant and immediate action, lives are at risk from ever more extreme weather. And you despair at the failure of our leaders to take sufficient action at another underwhelming UN climate summit.

This knowledge can feel overwhelming. You might find it challenging to cope with – perhaps you are losing sleep, or finding yourself mulling over worries for your future. You might have already been directly impacted by the changes to our planet as a result of destructive human action.

You might be unsure what can be done, and feel powerless or angry. At the same time, you might feel isolated, with others around you not seeming to recognise the precariousness of our situation.

As psychologists who research psychological responses to the climate emergency, we’re here to tell you something important: you are not alone.

A global survey of 10,000 people aged 16-25 found that climate worries had impacted on the daily functioning, like sleeping and concentrating, of 45% of respondents. In the UK, 73% of those surveyed felt that the future is frightening,...

Read more