Fossil-free mental health promotion
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Presentation at the Finnish Insititute for Health and Welfare (THL) January 18, 2024. Fossil-free mental health promotion aims at addressing two main challenges of humankind by reducing the environmental impact of human activities and by addressing deterioration of mental wellbeing. There are win-win opportunities for improving mental wellbeing associated with taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Awareness of climate change, perception of solutions and psychological adaptation is needed for a pro-environmental behaviour. Promotion of mental health and the green transition are intrisically intertwined.
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Fossil-free mental health promotion
- 1. 18.1.2024 Kristian Wahlbeck Fossil-free mental health promotion Helsinki 18.1.2024 Kristian Wahlbeck 1
- 2. 18.1.2024 Kristian Wahlbeck 2 Fossil-free mental health promotion aims at addressing two main challenges of humankind by reducing the environmental impact of human activities and by addressing deterioration of mental wellbeing.
- 3. .fi 3 Lawrance et al. 2021
- 4. .fi 4 Source: Grantham Institute 2021 The mental health threats from climate change
- 5. .fi Mental health promotion as a part of crisis management 5 • The number of cases of psychological trauma arising from a disaster can exceed physical injury cases by 40–1 (Hayes et al 2018) Map: Grantham Institute 2021
- 6. .fi Impact of environmental crisis on mental health 6 • Climate change is negatively affecting the mental wellbeing of people around the world • Climate change exacerbates mental distress, particularly among young people, even for individuals who are not directly affected • Nearly three quarters of US millennials aged 18-34 report a negative effect on their mental wellbeing (Swell 2018) • Climate change drives and exacerbates health and social inequalities which themselves worsen mental health 18.1.2024 Kristian Wahlbeck
- 7. .fi Mental wellbeing at risk 7 • Eco-anxiety: chronic fear of ecological doom • Climate grief / ecological grief: grief felt in relation to ecological losses • Solastalgia: distress experienced when someone’s home environment is changing in ways perceived to be profoundly negative
- 8. .fi The cost of mental health issues is not included in calculations of cost of climate change 8
- 9. There are win-win opportunities for improving mental wellbeing associated with taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- 10. Kristian Wahlbeck A new era has begun Our communities and businesses urgently need a green transition to become carbon- free Mental health promotion is a core component in adaptation to the transition A mentally healthy lifestyle goes hand in hand with reduction of carbon footprints 18.1.2024 10
- 11. Kristian Wahlbeck The social determinants of mental health are linked to sustainable development goals 18.1.2024 11
- 12. Parenting support “Cost-effectiveness of prevention in mental health – towards cross-sectoral impact assessment” . Human impact ass 18.1.2024 Examples of green transition and mental health promotion -investing in relationships instead of consumption -promoting access to green and blue spaces -provision of healthy mobility choices -supporting local and sustainable consumption and food systems
- 13. .fi Adaptation to the green sustainability transition • A systemic approach is needed to address mental wellbeing, combining knowledge from different fields, such as urban planning, nature conservation, urban engineering, governance, social justice and public health. • Awareness of climate change, perception of solutions and psychological adaptation is needed for a pro-environmental behaviour. Bradley 2016, 2020 • individuals need to orient towards, make sense of, and ultimately come to terms with, the threat and reality of climate change • mental health literacy is a prerequisite for successful adaptation
- 14. .fi Promotion of mental health and the green transition are intrisically intertwined 14
- 15. 18.1.2024 15 Kristian Wahlbeck
- 16. Mental health policies Policies for mental health need to be revised to include the transition to fossil-free mental health promotion
Editor's Notes
- Climate change and mental health are two of the most significant and pressing challenges facing societies across the world. Yet, growing awareness of these global issues has not been met with sufficient action to mitigate their impacts.
- The deterioration in mental health caused by climate change will carry a significant cost, which is currently not being considered.
- Impact of extreme weather events
- Young people seem particularly affected by such distress, perhaps as their futures will be highly affected by a changing climate, but they feel limited control over the actions taken by those in positions of power
- “The grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change” Clearcutting / clear felling = avohakkuu Solastalgia has been reported in youth in Indonesia184, Inuit communities in northern Canada180,181, farmers in the Australian wheatbelt126,185, residents and tourists of communities around the Great Barrier Reef186, elders in the Torres Strait187 between Australia and New Guinea, and Ghanians188,18
- We must ensure that the cost of climate change on mental health, and the multiple benefits of climate action are fully considered in the decision-making process.
- Co-benefits
- Reducing EU emissions by at least 55% by 2030 is a legal obligation.
- : improving air quality: Allotments and Community gardens Importance of trees
- Conventional engineering solutions to adapt to climate change, but this may not always be cost-effective, sufficient or sustainable Climate science has to date failed to fully appreciate the contribution that social and environmental psychology can make to such an understanding