Journal Article Annotations
2024, 2nd Quarter
Annotations by Mary Burke, MD
July, 2024
The finding:
Replicating findings from previous studies of the mental health of young people globally, this study of young adults ages 18-29 years, found high rates of self-reported depression and anxiety (43% and 36% respectively) related to three major crises: Current wars, climate change, and release of radioactive water from Fukushima. Chinese responses were analysed separately from those from the UK, USA, Portugal and South Africa. US respondents were the least engaged in the crises, expressed high levels of helplessness, and were least connected to nature. South African respondents reported higher direct impacts of these crises. Chinese respondents were most worried about the Fukushima water release. High media exposure was linked with more negative emotions in the non-China countries, while engagement with nature was protective.
Strength and weaknesses:
The researchers had a large sample, weighted toward educated respondents with majority living in private homes, in industrialized countries. There were no representatives from Central/ South America, Pacific Islands and other low-lying islands, or from African countries experiencing high levels of drought, famine and immigration. Nonetheless, even this relatively insulated group of respondents were highly distressed.
Relevance:
“Climate anxiety” (whether we use that term or “realistic anxiety about the future”), is affecting the generations coming of age. Other serious global crises including environmental degradation and escalating conflicts, will have long-lasting impacts on the lives of Millennials and Gen-Z. Most experts agree that this is not simply a “therapy problem,” but one that requires engagement in action that mitigates the issues. Engagement with nature, and nature restoration, has been shown to improve mood and outlook in other studies, and of course can protect specific habitats for human and other species. All mental health clinicians should be aware of these contributions to presentations, and think beyond medications when addressing symptoms.
The finding:
In brief, being in areas with a rich bird life is good for mental health. Bird biodiversity is a marker for ecosystem health. Loss of resilient, enriched ecosystems is one manifestation of the global climate crisis we are facing, and which has ongoing negative effects on mental health. Affluent regions tend to have more biodiversity, but expanding access to natural environments with health ecosystems may provide mental health benefits to lower-income populations.
Strength and weaknesses:
As a bird watcher whose involvement grew during the pandemic, I can personally endorse these findings. However, I found the statistical analysis to be very complex, and was not able to assess their accuracy. That said, this article directly ties not just global warming, but the loss of habitat and species to human mental health, and highlights the direct link between the preservation of natural spaces and human emotional well-being. As with so many other studies on mental health and the climate crisis, affluent people—whose footprint on nature tends to be the heaviest—are more likely to be protected.
Relevance:
As a CL psychiatrist, I endorse getting out in the woods with your binoculars and your (free) Merlin app to deal with your own stress and burnout. In the bigger picture, our “Bio-psycho-social” model should take into account the environmental systems that so definitively impact our patients and their communities. This is relevant not just for those consulting to outpatient clinics, but those helping plan discharges, or consulting on geriatric and pediatric care. Immersion in nature is not just good for us, it is part of our evolutionary heritage.
Last year was the hottest on record, and this summer is already looking to be another deadly hot one. These articles review and highlight data on heat, floods, and chemical additives in our food. Psychiatric Times is not peer reviewed, but is widely read and usually synopsizes peer-reviewed research. Dr. Haase is one of our leading physicians addressing the link between the climate crisis and mental health. Drs. Marwaha and Kaur Malhi further develop this theme, and address the need for climate impacts to be included in medical school curriculum. Drs. Xiong and Li review studies on common food additives and their disruptive impact on neuronal functioning and brain health. Physicians can play an important role via psychoeducation to help their patients manage the cumulative neuro-psychiatric effects of the Anthropocene era.