Abstract
Climate change worry, eco-anxiety, and ecological grief are concepts that have emerged in the media, public discourse, and research in recent years. However, there is not much literature examining and summarizing the ways in which these emotions are expressed, to what processes they are related, and how they are distributed. This narrative review aims to ( a) summarize research about the relationships between, on the one hand, negative emotions in relation to climate change and other environmental problems and, on the other hand, mental well-being among people in different parts of the world and ( b) examine studies that have explored the potentially constructive role of worry—for example, in the form of providing motivation to act. It is clear from this review that negative emotions regarding environmental problems are normal, and often constructive, responses.Yet, given the nature, range, and extent of these emotions, it is important to identify diverse place-based and culturally relevant strategies to help people cope.
Highlights
Given the nature, range, and extent of these emotions, it is important to identify diverse placebased and culturally relevant strategies to help people cope
There are two strands of research: first, larger, often cross-sectional quantitative survey studies with different age groups that focus on worry, sometimes anxiety, and distress about these problems, and these were mostly performed in Northern Europe, North America, and Australia
Studies show that a significant number of people around the world worry about climate change, but there are still rather few studies that focus on getting an in-depth understanding of what role emotions such as worry, anxiety, and grief in relation to climate change and other environmental problems play in people’s everyday lives
Summary
This narrative review aims to summarize and discuss research about what role emotions like worry, anxiety, and grief regarding climate change and other environmental problems play in people’s lives. What studies focusing on macro worry miss, is that for subgroups of people around the world, climate change and other environmental problems are direct threats to their livelihood, cultural practices, connections to nature, and sense of well-being In these contexts, experiences of tangible damages and losses (e.g., adverse changes in weather patterns and loss of plant and animal species) can produce less visible forms of loss such as an altered sense of place and identity, and perceptions of low levels of control over important aspects in one’s life [3, 6, 7]. Inuit-led research and programming, including environmental health monitoring [148] and land-based programming [149], are key ways in which Inuit across Canada are taking action in understanding their changing environment and health, and creating valuable spaces for Inuit to discuss and have a sense of self-efficacy in changes happening around them
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