Ana Gabriela Mejía Silva: Psychologist and Red Cross volunteer explores the mental health costs of climate change
Eco-anxiety is a relatively new term in the lexicon of psychology, but it’s gaining more attention. In a world facing an existential threat from climate change — and many communities already facing tremendous upheaval — the mental health impacts of climate change are impossible to ignore. People who rely on farming, fishing, or whose cultures are connected to natural cycles, are being deeply affected. Livelihoods are drying up, or being washed away, and in many places, suicide rates are rising. Psychologist and Red Cross volunteer Ana Mejía unpacks what’s happening and explains what we need to do, collectively and individually, to help people cope.