Verified by 
Environment
Enhancing Resilience in the Face of Climate Change
Individual and community interventions can lessen the psychological impacts.
Posted February 19, 2020 Reviewed by Davia Sills
Unchecked climate change will probably result in complex medical and mental health problems on a global scale. In a previous post, I described the expected acute and long-term impacts of climate change on mental health. In this post, I comment on measures that can be taken by individuals, communities, and countries, aimed at increasing resilience in the face of natural disasters and climate change, and mitigating the deleterious consequences of climate change on mental health.
The importance of positive images and beliefs in self-efficacy
Individuals who have a positive outlook on life and have well-developed coping strategies for responding to stressful situations will probably be better suited to deal with the stressful effects of climate change. As discussed in my previous post, children, the elderly, and low-income populations are especially susceptible to extreme weather events and the negative impacts of gradual climate change on both physical and mental health. Individuals and communities that prepare for the harmful physical, economic, and psychological impacts of climate change by focusing on positive messages and practical solutions will probably be more resilient in the face of unforeseen circumstances that will arise in the context of unchecked climate change.
Media coverage of climate change that focuses on the anticipated catastrophic consequences of climate change in remote world regions may exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, resulting in fewer efforts to prepare. The American Psychological Association has encouraged media outlets to emphasize how taking proactive steps to address climate change can result in a reduced risk of the negative impacts of climate change at both the individual and community levels.
A simple technique that may significantly enhance psychological resilience and increase self-efficacy in the face of climate change is the use of vivid images to convey positive messages about green innovations in energy production and emerging technologies that may slow down the rate of global warming, instead of focusing on dramatic images of natural disasters, which may further deepen feelings of despair and helplessness.
The importance of preparation at the community level
Numerous studies show that individuals in a healthy, socially-connected community have greater overall resilience and an enhanced capacity to overcome adversity and withstand the psychological impact of trauma related to natural disasters. Efforts aimed at improving communication and working together to solve day-to-day problems may increase community preparedness in the face of unchecked climate change. Disaster preparedness is most successful when communities are actively involved in training, planning for emergency shelters and energy supplies.
The emergency preparedness plan that is most effective may differ between communities, depending on the types of natural disasters that are most likely to affect different geographic regions, as well as the economic and emergency preparedness resources that determine how well different communities and countries respond to emergencies. The American Psychological Association has recommended that mental health care be incorporated into existing community-wide and state-wide disaster preparation efforts.
Shared storytelling is an approach that may help improve resilience in individuals and communities by facilitating the exchange of strong feelings of despair and anxiety and evoking empathic responses. It has been argued that focusing on the anticipated local impacts of climate change (e.g., preparing for flooding, drought, or famine) while also focusing on the local benefits of collective action may be one of the best ways to make climate change relevant to people, increasing the likelihood that they will take steps to prepare for the impacts of climate change on their community.
Collective action at a community level may also be an effective way to reach climate change deniers and soften contentious political debates over climate change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a website on emergency preparedness and response that includes informational videos and practical tips on coping with trauma.
In a special report on the psychological impacts of climate change, the American Psychological Association made a compelling case for implementing strategies aimed at helping individuals and communities focus on positive images and beliefs in self-efficacy that may lead to greater engagement in proactive efforts to better prepare for and mitigate the negative health and mental health impacts of climate change. The full report is available here.
Approaches being investigated for enhancing resilience and reducing PTSD risk
Exposure to both short-term severe weather events and to gradual climate change is often traumatic, resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Conventional and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions are being investigated as potential options for enhancing resilience in the face of anticipated trauma exposure or for mitigating the severity of PTSD symptoms in the immediate aftermath of traumatic experiences. Select psychotropic medications, including SSRIs, a specialized form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychosocial interventions may lessen the severity of PTSD symptoms; however, there is little evidence that conventional therapies reduce the risk of developing PTSD when they are started following exposure to trauma (Howlett 2016).
There is emerging, albeit largely preliminary evidence that select CAM approaches may enhance resilience in the face of anticipated trauma and mitigate the severity of PTSD symptoms if started in the immediate aftermath of exposure to trauma. Promising non-pharmaceutical approaches being investigated for their beneficial effects on enhancing resilience in the face of anticipated exposure to trauma include mindfulness meditation, mind-body practices such as yoga, and select nutraceuticals, including the neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), omega-3 fatty acids, and a proprietary multi-nutrient formula. Virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET) and EEG biofeedback therapy are being investigated as potential interventions for enhancing resiliency in the face of anticipated trauma and mitigating the severity of PTSD when used soon after exposure to trauma.
The reader is referred to a review of CAM approaches being investigated as treatments of existing PTSD for enhancing resiliency in individuals who are likely to face trauma (e.g., including active duty military, firefighters, and first responders), and for reducing the risk of developing PTSD following exposure to trauma.
Bottom line
Unchecked climate change is expected to result in complex medical and mental health problems on a global scale. Children, the elderly, and low-income populations are especially susceptible to extreme weather events and the negative impacts of gradual climate change on both physical and mental health. Individuals who have well-developed, positive coping skills and use positive imagery and mindfulness on a regular basis, and who are affiliated with a healthy, socially-connected community, will probably have greater overall resilience and an enhanced capacity to overcome adversity and withstand the psychological impact of trauma related to natural disasters.
Available conventional treatments are sometimes effective for reducing the severity of PTSD once it has been established; however, they do not enhance resiliency in the face of anticipated future exposure to trauma or mitigate the risk of developing PTSD when used in the immediate aftermath of exposure to trauma. Select non-pharmaceutical are being investigated as potential interventions aimed at enhancing resilience preparatory to anticipated trauma and mitigating the severity of PTSD when started in the aftermath of trauma.
