Disaster By Choice

Resilience

Post-Disaster Psychological Resilience

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on March 24, 2024

A new scientific paper examines post-disaster psychological resilience in Australia.

Environment

What Stops People from Helping During Crises?

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on March 17, 2024

A new scientific paper explains inhibitors to helping during a crisis and how to encourage people to do more.

Climate Anxiety

Environmental Magic Supports Mental Health

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on February 18, 2024

Magician Megan Swann pioneered “environmental magic,” supporting environmental action and mental health.

Environment

Singing for Mental Health Under Climate Change

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on December 14, 2023

A new musical composition sung by children supports mental health under climate change.

Environment

The Mental Health of German Youth After a Flooding Disaster

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on December 13, 2023

Two scientific papers describe the mental health and coping mechanisms of youth experiencing the disaster of a flood in Germany.

Leadership

Firefighters, Mental Health, and COVID-19

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on December 2, 2023

To add to crisis and mental health research and action, we spoke to firefighters about their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Environment

Children and Adolescents Coping With Disaster

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on September 17, 2023

A new scientific study explores how youth’s disaster-coping strategies can lead to maladjustment or adjustment.

Grief

Beyond Climate Grief

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on August 11, 2023

Eco-anxiety dominates many emotions, yet going beyond it galvanises positive action.

Environment

Environmental Psychology for a Better Future

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on August 8, 2023

Environmental psychology and philosophy take us from "solastalgia" to radical anticipation of a new era.

Environment

Indigenous Reindeer Herders Experience Mental Distress

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on May 24, 2023

Indigenous people in northern Sweden experience the mental health impact of losing their land, heritage, and livelihood.

Environment

Supporting Mental Health Through Disaster Prevention

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on May 17, 2023

Games can help change our psychology about disasters, creating confidence that we can and should prevent them.

Cognition

The Mental Health Impact of Land Violence in Thailand

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on May 16, 2023

The Pgak’yau people in northern Thailand must survive solastalgia (mental distress from forced environmental change).

Teamwork

Firefighter Psychology in Dealing With Crisis

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on March 7, 2023

New research contributes to crisis psychology by listening to firefighters’ needs and responses for operations and management.

Trauma

Eco-Trauma and Eco-Hope in Kenya

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on February 16, 2023

Despite eco-trauma and solastalgia (mental distress), the indigenous Ogiek people in Kenya are opposing evictions from and destruction of their forest.

Anxiety

Are We Psychologically Ready for Power Outages?

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on January 6, 2023

Animals and many other factors lead to electricity blackouts. Are we psychologically ready to deal with them?

Anger

Islandness of the Mind: The Study of Islanders

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on December 22, 2022

Island studies—the science of islanders, island life, and islands—offers psychology research plenty.

Anxiety

Imprisoning the River Kemi

Ilan Kelman Ph.D. on December 16, 2022

Damming Finland’s River Kemi wrecked livelihoods and people-land connections, exemplifying mental health impacts from human-caused environmental change.