More Americans Worry About Climate Change's Effect on Mental Health, Poll Finds
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 19, 2024 -- As summers get hotter and hurricane seasons less predictable, more Americans now say that climate change affects their mental health, a new poll finds.
In a survey conducted among more than 2,200 adults at the end of May, 53% of respondents said they believe that the effects of global warming impacts Americans' mental health.
That's up from 48% of those questioned in a similar poll conducted in 2022, according to the poll's sponsor, the American Psychiatric Association.
“As psychiatrists, we know our mental state is not immune to these weather changes, and we also know that certain communities are disproportionately impacted,” said APA President Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan. “I would encourage those who feel overwhelmed to remember that there is still hope in the solutions we can adopt as individuals and on a more global scale.”
It isn't just peace of mind that's being upset by high temperatures, wildfires, hurricanes and the like.
According to the poll, 39% said that climate change is also affecting folks' access to food, 37% said it was taking a toll on personal finances, their family (36%), housing (34%), their neighborhood (25%), their job or career (26%) or their education (24%).
Age mattered: "The majority of respondents ages 18-34 said climate change impacts their mental [53%] and physical health [52%], while less than a quarter [<25%] of adults ages 65+ said climate change is impacting any tested aspect of their life," the APA said in a news release.
When it came to race, Black and Hispanic Americans were more likely to agree than whites that climate change impacted mental health (27%, 26% and 21%, respectively).
In an election year, a majority (54%) of Americans also said they are worried about how the government is dealing with the threat of climate change, and about a fifth (21%) said they were "very anxious" about the government's response.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association, news release, June 18, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2024
Read this next
U.S. Moms Facing Mental, Physical Health Struggles
TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 — U.S. mothers are struggling with both their mental and physical health, a new study says. The percentage of mothers who report excellent mental...
Former Surgeon General Warns Social Media Is Harming Children's Health
TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 — Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is urging lawmakers to take stronger steps to protect children from the potential dangers of social...
Quieter Classrooms May Help Calm Kids, Study Shows
SUNDAY, May 25, 2025 — The first day of preschool can be tough — lots of new faces, unfamiliar sounds and the sudden goodbye to Mom or Dad can be overwhelming. But...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.