The Impact of Climate Crisis on Mental Health

Abstract

Climate change has been considered a climate crisis, a potential source of extreme weather phenomena and significant changes in the natural ecosystem that pose various threats to human health, including an increased risk of acute and chronic diseases and premature death. Research has revealed that the climate crisis threatens mental health through various channels, and climate anxiety has become an issue of increasing social concern in Korea. In some countries, mental health is often addressed in the context of climate change health adaptation strategies, or climate change adaptation is considered part of mental health policies. In Korea, mental health issues are discussed in the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, but it is difficult to say that there are specific policies in the country to protect mental health from the climate crisis. In this study, we analyzed the status of mechanisms and research on climate crisis and mental health, investigated the current state of climate anxiety in Korea, and proposed policy options to promote mental health in the era of climate crisis.