NWF: The Psychological Effects of Global Warming

[BrendaBrick]

And why the U.S. Mental Health Care System is not adequately prepared

From the National Wildlife Federation, 3-12-2012:

"Global warming in the coming years will foster public trauma, depression, violence, alienation, substance abuse, suicide, psychotic episodes, post-traumatic stress disorders and many other mental health-related conditions."

Psychological Effects of Climate Change

National Wildlife Federation convened a forum in March 2009 of professionals from the fields of psychology, mental health, national security, climate change science and policy to conduct an exploratory interdisciplinary assessment of the effects that global warming will have on the state of American public mental health and the practice and provision of mental services in the United States.

The forum sought to add information and context to an overlooked aspect of global climate change: the psychological and public mental health implications.

The resulting report and executive summary, drawing from a wide body of supplemental research, assesses:

Most likely physical effects of climate change in the U.S.
Most likely psychological effects resulting from direct experiences and also from the anticipation of future harm
Subgroups of American Society most deeply affected
The cost of doing nothing or doing very little
The effect on the U.S. mental health care system
Recommendations to researchers, policy leaders, public agencies, health professionals and first responders.

Based on the recommendations of forum participants, leaders are calling for professionals in the mental health fields to focus on this, the social justice issue of all times, with their capacity to work through denial and apathy, to bring insight and commitment before it is too late.

NWF appreciates the support of the RWJ Foundation and to our forum participants.
We also note the sad death of forum participant and friend Dr. Jerilyn Ross. She added her characteristic straight talk, practical knowledge, and bright intellect to the discussion.

Download a copy of The Psychological Effects of Global Warming on the United States: And Why the U.S. Mental Health Care System is Not Adequately Prepared:

http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Global-Warming/Reports/Psych_Effects_Climate_Change_Full_3_23.ashx

Source: http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/Reports/Archive/2012/03-22-12-Psych-Effects-of-Global-Warming-in-US-Hold.aspx

[mia]

1. "the anticipation of future harm... the cost of doing nothing or doing very little."

Thank you for this post.

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[yurbud]

2. unless things happen like the flip of a switch, people won't notice

no matter how big the change in the world around us, people seem to be able to not only accept it as the new normal but they can't imagine it was ever different.

[Demeter]

3. And how is this different from the economic trauma currently being inflicted upon the people?

It's all part of the same SOS. (sack of ....)

Find me a leader who actually cares, and will work to stop it, as opposed to an Awful Waffle Man.

Meanwhile, I and many other lowly people will do what we can to keep the whole fantasy the 1% created from crashing down upon our nearest and dearest.