Abstract

Some fear that provoking widespread worry about climate change may harm mental health. The Regional Wellbeing Survey, a large study of health, well-being and life in rural and regional Australia, examined climate change worry and attitudes. Most respondents were worried about climate change and agreed that fossil fuel use causes global warming, but there was no evidence to suggest that worry about climate change is linked to mental health in the general population. Respectful, calm, considered public debate about how to respond to climate change is unlikely to be harmful to population mental health. Individually focused clinical approaches are unlikely to be effective as a primary approach in managing the mental health impacts of climate change. Instead, collective, systems-based approaches will be needed.

Highlights

  • Framed, accurate and timely public information could help stimulate constructive public debate and the motivation necessary to galvanise action; but some fear that provoking widespread worry about the possible impacts of climate change may harm mental health (Swim et al, 2011)

  • The study of climate change and mental health is in its infancy and there is little concrete evidence to inform decision-making about the possible mental health impacts of promoting public debate about climate change

  • Most people were worried about climate change (56%) and agreed that fossil fuel use causes global warming (63%) and that climate science is trust­ worthy (55%)

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Summary

Introduction

Accurate and timely public information could help stimulate constructive public debate and the motivation necessary to galvanise action; but some fear that provoking widespread worry about the possible impacts of climate change may harm mental health (Swim et al, 2011). The study of climate change and mental health is in its infancy and there is little concrete evidence to inform decision-making about the possible mental health impacts of promoting public debate about climate change. The aim of this study was to contribute evidence on whether climate change attitudes and, worry about climate change are linked to mental health and well-being, taking account place-based and sociodemographic factors

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