Eco-anxiety, fear of 'environmental doom', how do you deal with this reaction you may be experiencing?

Do you worry about what will happen to future generations? If you feel overwhelmed by the constant news about the effects of climate change or the apocalyptic nature of the various planetary crises facing the world, you could be suffering from eco-anxiety, a term coined to describe environmental reality, according to authorities and experts in psychology.

However, it is not a "mental disorder, but an emotional reaction and a way of facing the planetary crisis", according to the NGO Acdi Voca, which has published a concept on the subject in order to land it in the context of the United Nations Summit of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, currently taking place in Cali.

(En contexto: Ecoansiedad: así afecta el cambio climático a nuestra salud mental).

It is a term defined by the American Psychological Association in 2017 as "chronic fear of environmental doom". According to this emotional response, you may feel anxious about the uncertain outlook for the coming years due to pollution, rising temperatures, species extinction and other issues.

"It is a set of negative choices that develop when we become aware of the magnitude of the present and future impact of the environmental crisis. It is based on the current situation of the planet, and from there a series of emotions and physiological reactions arise that are mainly related to this fear", explains Streiker Díaz Marín, Doctor of Psychology and Master in Psychodiagnosis and Psychological Evaluation, in an interview with EL TIEMPO.

It is caused by physical symptoms such as lack of energy or panic attacks, cognitive impairment and behavioural blockages, according to Acdi Voca. There are also sleep problems, "nightmares related to the planetary crisis, feelings of social isolation, rumination (negative and repetitive ive thoughts)".

Although the range of manifestations is wide, the psychologist Díaz points out that the main one is concern for future generations, asking "what is going to happen?

Díaz Marín clarifies that fear "is not bad". On the contrary, it can be used as a tool to act in favour of the environment: "There is a fear that can help us remain vigilant and prepared. It makes us act. The typical example is when we are faced with some physical danger or risk, in which case we move quickly to be safe".

In fact, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), in the face of panic, has stressed to young people that "we are not heading towards the end of the world", but rather "we have a future ahead of us", for which it is necessary to work on global actions, such as fulfilling the Paris Agreement, an international treaty in which world leaders committed to limit the average global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius, while striving not to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius - above pre-industrial levels by 2100, for example.

"If we manage to reach the target of the Paris Agreement, we could say that our future is light grey, i.e. we will still see negative impacts, but if we continue with business as usual, we will reach 2.8 degrees and the impacts will be much more negative," said Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the WMO, a few months ago.

As a first measure to avoid ecoparalysis, the psychologist consulted by EL TIEMPO calls for the strengthening of empathy and comion, an emotional connection with the people suffering from the climate crisis in their territories. He also stresses the need to work on self-efficacy, "the idea that we are capable of acting", and on expectations of results, i.e. the belief that everything we do will have an effect.

According to a concept presented by Acdi Voca at COP16, eco-anxiety is not only experienced through emotional symptoms, but is also translated into physical experiences. For example, a person may experience lack of energy or panic attacks, cognitive impairment and behavioural blockages. Even sleep disturbances, nightmares related to the planetary crisis, feelings of social isolation, rumination (negative and repetitive ive thoughts), among others, have been reported in the scientific literature available on the subject.

Although this is an area of research in its infancy and there is not enough empirical evidence to conclude on its efficacy, there is already some advice from experts on what to do if you think you are experiencing anxiety. For example, Acdi Voca points out that there is research that "suggests that intervention programmes can promote emotional management strategies and the strengthening of resilience, i.e. the ability to cope, adapt and bounce back in the face of adversity".

In this sense, techniques such as meditation, mindfulness, increased political engagement and climate action, and youth empowerment can be useful. "The concept of transformational resilience is raised, focusing on post-traumatic growth, i.e. using trauma to change and reorient towards social connectedness and spiritual growth. Resilience implicitly addresses interspecies relationships and the importance of environmental health in promoting mental health," according to research cited in the concept published by Acdi Voca.

Some additional tools found when talking about eco-anxiety are talking about emotions, promoting a positive reappraisal of the situation, discussing sustainable futures and cultivating trust in oneself and others.

For Díaz, the psychologist, it is not just a matter of being aware of the environmental challenges facing the planet, but of "the urgency of directing everything towards action" to address them: "It's about realising that I'm not the only one who feels this. So I start to focus on the solution. When we connect, whether it's with climate or action groups, or engaging in pro-environmental behaviour, that action helps us to be less afraid and more confident that we can build a better world.

As well as recommendations on how to deal with eco-anxiety at a personal level, Acdi Voca also recommends raising awareness and training the medical profession to care for children who may have anxiety, post-traumatic stress and other psychological reactions to climate change.

In of what parents can do in such situations, they recommend equipping themselves with appropriate , information and resources to facilitate effective communication and engagement on climate change at the family level.

They also recommend providing opportunities for young people to connect with others and adopt collective strategies and actions focused on mitigation, developing school curricula on climate change issues and developing community systems, training to anticipate problems caused by climate change, and and training for teachers on the subject.

Acdi Voca also highlights the need for clearer figures on the issue. They note, for example, that in Bogotá there are still no records of eco-anxiety indices.

"However, a study of mental health in Bogotá in 2023 showed that 10.9 per cent of participants had been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives and 9.75 per cent had received a diagnosis of generalised anxiety (UNODOC and Secretaría Distrital de Salud, 2023). Although these diagnoses are not directly related to anxiety, they share some emotional and behavioural symptoms that could be relevant for assessment in the near future. This highlights the importance of mental health prevention work with young people and the need to research, policy and management on the relationship between mental health, wellbeing, connection with nature and climate change," they conclude.

SEBASTIÁN GARCÍA C. and ALEJANDRA LÓPEZ

Special envoys of EL TIEMPO to COP16