Climate Change Impact on Mental Health and Environmental Activism: A Narrative Review

Isabel, Silva and Gloria, Jólluskin and Paulo, Ribeiro Cardoso and Farkas, Johanna (2025) Climate Change Impact on Mental Health and Environmental Activism: A Narrative Review. In: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Challenges: Law Enforcement, Psychology and Security in Focus. 1 st LEPSY CEEPUS Network Research and Cooperation Conference Proceedings 12 March 2024. University of Public Service Ludovika University Press, Budapest, pp. 179-190. ISBN 9789636531911; 9789636531553

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Abstract

We are witnessing considerable changes in the climate of the Earth that have important repercussions on individuals’ health, but also on the civic behaviours adopted by them. This narrative review aims, on the one hand, to systematise the repercussions that the current climate crisis has on the mental health of populations and, on the other, to reflect on their implications for the involvement in climate actions. The psychological responses that arise from climate change are very diverse and may result in what have been called psychoterratic syndromes, which includes eco-anxiety, climate anxiety, climate grief, ecological distress, ecoparalysis, solastalgia, climate sadness, climate anger, climate irritation, climate apprehension, climate hopelessness or climate isolation, but they also can result in climate hope, climate empowerment, climate discontent and climate indifference. Research into the personality of activists has highlighted the association between environmental activism and the personality characteristics of individuals, drawing attention to a potential “dark side” of environmental activists’ personality, related to the dark triad traits – Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism – as well as to the association of these traits with left-wing authoritarianism (i.e. antihierarchical aggression, anticonventionalism, top-down censorship). Psychology is in a privileged position to contribute to promoting the mental health of populations faced with climate change and to capitalising on adaptive actions for positive behavioural and policy change.

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