Climate change stands out as one of the most serious challenges of the 21st century. With the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases, noticeable changes are occurring in temperature averages and constituent densities of the atmosphere. These rapid changes reflect a worsening trend that living beings will have difficulty adapting to.
Today, climate change manifests itself globally as an extreme warming of the earth’s surface. Global warming negatively affects human life in various ways. Today, scientists emphasize that global warming will cause climate events such as hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, floods that will disrupt human life, rising sea levels around the world, and a significant increase in temperatures.
These changes will cause food shortages for agricultural countries that cannot adapt to climate change, a decrease in clean water resources worldwide, damage to animal, plant and other living species, flooding of coastal countries and various negative effects on human health.
The psychological effects of climate change may not be obvious, but they can lead to depression, antisocial behavior and suicide. We should also consider that climate change can have serious consequences for mental health, as well as physical health. Climate change can bring different degrees of stress, depression and anxiety into people’s lives. Even uncertainty can be a source of stress and can be considered as a risk factor for psychological stress.
Climate-induced disasters not only threaten physical health but can also cause mental health problems. This can also negatively impact physical health in ways such as changing sleeping, eating or exercise habits and reducing immune system function. Natural disasters that can be associated with climate change, such as extreme weather events, floods, hurricanes or fires, can cause psychological problems in people, such as trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Awareness about climate change can create a desire to take action for the environment, but also a sense of hopelessness in the face of the magnitude of environmental problems.
Reference:
Psychologist Merve Altındağ
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GEZER, M., & İLHAN, M. (2021). İklim değişikliği endişesi ölçeği: Türkçeye uyarlama çalışması. Ege Coğrafya Dergisi, 30(1), 195-204.
