Climate change provokes the growth of mental illnesses
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The number of mental illnesses will grow because of climate change, writes The Sydney Morning Herald, referring to the report of the Sydney Climate Institute "Climate of Suffering: The True Cost of Living in Conditions of Idleness with Respect to Climate Change."
According to the authors of the study, the loss of social cohesion in the face of extreme weather events associated with climate change, can lead to an increase in the number of cases of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse. At least one in five respondents during the study admitted that after such natural events they experience "emotional trauma, stress and despair," the newspaper writes.
"Although cyclones, droughts, forest fires and floods are a habitual part of life in Australia, there is no doubt that our climate is changing," the report says. "The folding conditions fully correspond to the most accurate scientific forecasts: as weather becomes warmer, weather conditions become more extreme, which entails serious consequences for the health and life of people. " The report points out that the loss of social cohesion, caused by the loss of work and work-related stability, was the result of a prolonged drought in Australia and led to an 8% increase in suicide in rural areas. The report also shows that every tenth pupil of elementary school after cyclone "Larry" in 2006 demonstrated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to Professor Jan Hickey, the director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, the impact of climate change on social cohesion has long been underestimated, but it plays a key role in people's mental health, and it is very difficult to restore it. He stressed that climate change and especially extreme natural phenomena in the future can become the main factor influencing mental health.
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