Abstract
Planetary health is a broad multidisciplinary effort that attempts to address what has been described as “Anthropocene Syndrome”—the wicked, interrelated challenges of our time. These include, but are not limited to, grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, social injustices, erosion of wisdom and civility, together with the many structural underpinnings of these grand challenges. The ultimate aim of planetary health is flourishing along every link in the person, place and planet continuum. The events of “2020” have illuminated the consequences of “mass trauma” and how sub-threshold anxiety and/or depressive symptoms erase the rigid lines between mental “health” and mental “disorders”, and unmasked the systemic forms of injustice, discrimination, and oppression that have too often escaped discourse. Here, we query the ways in which post-traumatic growth research might inform the larger planetary health community, especially in the context of a global pandemic, broadening socioeconomic inequalities, a worsening climate crisis, and the rise of political authoritarianism. The available research would suggest that “2020” fulfills the trauma criteria of having a “seismic impact on the assumptive world”, and as such, provides fertile ground for post-traumatic growth. Among the many potential positive changes that might occur in response to trauma, we focus on the value of new awareness, perspective and greater wisdom.
Highlights
InVIVO Planetary Health, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; The Institute for Integrative Health, Baltimore, 1407 Fleet St, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
The quote above is oft-used in the growing body of literature within the field of post-traumatic growth—despite his storehouse being destroyed by fire, Masahide was able to see things from a new perspective, and identify at least one source of awe and wonder that was previously concealed from view
We suggest that salient porportions of the available research might informthe thelarger largernetworks networksof ofplanetary planetary health health tions of the available research might inform
Summary
“With my barn burned down, nothing obstructs my view of the moon overhead” Mizuta. Masahide, Japanese poet (1657–1723). 2020 areshould acting be as taken seriously [4]—there are signs that the seismic events of are acting a a catalyst, increasing awareness of an unhealthy status quo. The direct a year that witnessed numerous logical threat of the SARS-CoV-2 virus(oft-related) is central to seismic the 2020events—global moniker, but itprotests was alsoagainst a year racial injusticenumerous [11], crisis-level spread of dis/misinformation [12], the rise racial of political that witnessed (oft-related) seismic events—global protests against injusauthoritarianism [13],spread unprecedented wildfires in Australia reports that US life tice [11], crisis-level of dis/misinformation [12], the[14], rise further of political authoritarianexpectancy is declining (after decades of gain)[14],. At thethe individual level,associated seismic events can promote growth It islarge our scale post-traumatic growth, a re-appraisal of values, awareness of new possibilities, and contention that the mass trauma associated with 2020 might allow for large scale postincreased growth, wisdoma(Figure
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