Leading mental health charity shares guidance on dealing with the physical and mental-health impacts of climate change.
You used to hear one question through the summer: ‘Are you going on holiday?’ This summer, the question I’ve heard almost every day, and asked of almost everyone I’ve talked to, is ‘How are you coping with the heat?’
The current heatwave has placed additional burdens on those working in health and social care. We already knew from studies that older people are prone to overheating, while those aged over-75 have very high mortality rates from high temperatures. Last month, the journal Nature Mental Health published research showing that long periods of extreme heat are linked to more people being admitted to hospital with mental and behavioural disorders.
More than one person I’ve spoken to has said they are having difficulty concentrating at work, in part because of the heat itself, but also because of their worry about news of wildfires etc, prospective crop shortages and the world their children will inherit. I asked leading health charity Mind if this was a trend they were aware of and what advice they could offer.
Stephen Buckley, Head of National Services at Mind, responded: ‘Our mood and general energy levels can be negatively affected by heatwaves, as we can find it difficult to do our usual physical activity or have trouble sleeping.
‘Some psychiatric medications, including some antipsychotics and antidepressants, might increase our sensitivity to sunlight. This can also happen if you take St John’s Wort. Some antidepressants can cause increased sweating or muscle weakness, so if you take medication for your mental health, it’s even more important to look after yourself in extreme heat.
‘Heatwaves can make us more aware of and anxious about the climate emergency, and this anxiety may in turn exacerbate existing mental health problems. It’s understandable to feel worried or even scared by the climate emergency. Try to be kind to yourself and seek help if you need it – and remember you’re not alone in feeling this way.’
The Climate change and mental health section on the Mind website is full of useful advice and information, and there is also a section on the site about understanding anxiety.
Last week, the charity posted on Instagram with some suggestions on hope to cope with these anxious feelings. ‘For us to feel truly better, governments, businesses and society all need to take action to protect the environment,’ it says. ‘But there are ways to help manage the feelings climate change might bring up.’
That includes managing the time spent learning about climate change, taking action to support the environment, connecting with like-minded people and acknowledging your emotions about the subject.
Photo by Ant Rozetsky / Unsplash
In related news:
The final weeks before Isabelle Welsh’s murder raise troubling safeguarding questions
Children’s care costs six times more than Eton – what’s gone wrong?
Leave a Reply