Struggles with Mental Health: Scientists Confronting Emotional Challenges in Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
In the face of the escalating climate crisis, scientists on the frontline of research are grappling with the emotional and psychological impacts of their work. Acknowledging and expressing emotions, adapting standard self-care recommendations, building social connections, and engaging in creative or alternative routines are key approaches that these researchers are employing to manage their mental health.
Tim Lamont, a research fellow in marine ecology and ecosystem restoration at the Lancaster Environment Centre in the UK, penned a letter published in Science in 2019, making the point that "environmental scientists must be allowed to cry." The response was immediate and overwhelming, with many scientists expressing relief that they weren't the only ones struggling with their emotions.
Lamont's mood took a downhill slide due to the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef caused by wild weather and successive mass bleaching events. He suggests that improved psychosocial working environments for scientists might include systematic training, early intervention debriefing after disturbing events, formalised social support from colleagues and managers, and therapeutic counselling.
Gretta Pecl, a professor in marine ecology at the University of Tasmania, notes that natural spaces, which are often prescribed for coping, can sometimes be triggers for distress. She challenges the use of terms such as eco or climate-anxiety, stating that feeling distressed about the world and the challenges we're facing is a rational, logical response.
A 2023 paper published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine highlighted that researchers in climate-related careers represent one group of people who were more vulnerable than others to the mental health effects of climate change. A poll of more than 2,000 people undertaken by the Climate Council of Australia found that 4 in 5 respondents had experienced some form of extreme weather disaster since 2019, and 1 in 5 say the event had a "major or moderate" impact on their mental health.
Of those who had a direct experience with a climate-change event, 25.6% met the screening criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Occasionally narrowing one's focus can quell overwhelm, according to Pecl. For those who did not have direct experience, or who were unsure, 15.7% met the criteria for pre-traumatic stress, a "before-the-fact version of classic PTSD."
A flurry of research into the effects of climate change on mental health is now emerging, including the development of new psychometric tests to measure eco-emotions. The 32-item Inventory of Climate Emotions and the 81-item Environmental Distress Scale are examples of such tests, which probe various emotions such as anger, enthusiasm, anxiety, and sorrow, and measure environmental distress components including solastalgia.
Working on solutions can provide a balm for many scientists. They deliver talks to raise awareness, provide media commentary, or serve as pro bono expert witnesses in climate change-related litigation. Research published in 2022 in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry indicated that 9.4% of respondents had significant eco-anxiety, a chronic fear of environmental doom.
In the past, scientists who sounded the alarm about global warming were often ridiculed, silenced, verbally abused, and threatened. Neville Nicholls, an Emeritus Professor within Monash University's School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment, recalled these experiences from the 1990s. Olly Dove, Climate Research Officer within the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub, noted that people in these careers often feel they've had to repress their emotions in the past to be seen as objective and qualified.
Climate change is widely accepted today by governments, businesses, and members of the public. However, the emotional toll it takes on those working to understand and combat it cannot be ignored. By acknowledging and addressing the mental health challenges faced by frontline climate researchers, we can create healthier, more resilient communities equipped to tackle the climate crisis head-on.
- Tim Lamont, a research fellow in marine ecology, advocated in a 2019 letter published in Science for mental health support in environmental science, saying that environmental scientists should be allowed to express their emotions.
- Gretta Pecl, a professor in marine ecology, notes that natural spaces, often prescribed for coping, can sometimes be triggers for distress and challenges the use of terms such as eco or climate-anxiety, stating that feeling distressed about the environment is a rational response to the challenges we're facing.
