Is climate anxiety a clinical diagnosis? Should it be?

Research suggests that channeling eco-rage can lead to better mental health outcomes and is a key adaptive emotional factor for engaging with the climate crisis

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a “final warning” about the climate crisis. The report highlights a range of mental health challenges associated with rising temperatures, the trauma of extreme events, and the loss of livelihoods and cultures.

The report comes shortly after news emerged that a prison sentence for a climate protester who blocked the Sydney Harbour Bridge was overturned by a judge who took into account the activist’s diagnosis of climate anxiety .

An article published in Nature magazine claims that eco-anxiety is on the rise, but what is it? Is it a normal emotional response to a real and imminent collective threat, or is it a condition that requires individualized clinical treatment? In fact, research suggests that knowing how to manage “eco-anger” can lead to better mental health outcomes and is a key adaptive emotional factor for engaging with the climate crisis.

As climate-related events affect more people, many are feeling anxious, angry, and sad about the state of the planet. “Climate anxiety” describes a sense of panic, worry, and fear about the consequences and uncertainty brought about by climate change. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with “ecological anxiety,” a term some health professionals and researchers use to describe anxiety related to broader ecological issues. Researchers suggest that climate anxiety may be influenced by the environment around us, such as the type of media we consume, the opinions of those around us, or the responses of communities and governments.

Research suggests that climate anxiety is felt globally, especially among young people. However, it is not officially recognized as a mental health disorder in the diagnostic manuals used by psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals. Many experts caution against medicalizing this understandable and expected response.

Anxiety is a natural reaction when we feel threatened, helping us prepare for and reduce threats to our well-being and safety. For example, it can help us avoid a wild animal or prepare for a difficult exam. The findings of the latest climate report indicate that humanity has much to prepare for and do to reduce the threats of climate change. In some ways, experiencing some level of climate anxiety is necessary to trigger the changes needed for a sustainable future.

However, anxiety can become overwhelming and be diagnosed as a clinical disorder. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), anxiety disorders are marked by persistent, excessive anxiety that is often out of proportion to the threat. Research shows that climate anxiety can impair people’s ability to work, study, concentrate, sleep, or even enjoy time with friends and family.

However, regardless of whether climate anxiety is seen as a clinical diagnosis, the solution needs to be seen collectively. After all, how can we address mental health if people are losing access to water, safe housing, and healthy food?

Despite the negative impacts on mental well-being, research across 32 countries shows that some people channel their climate anxiety into helping the environment through pro-environmental behaviors and activism, such as climate protests. Australian data suggests that experiencing “eco-rage”—anger or frustration about environmental issues—leads to better mental health outcomes and is a key adaptive emotional factor for engaging with the climate crisis. However, intense frustration and anger about climate change are associated with greater personal efforts to address the issue, suggesting that anger can motivate action.

In the absence of official diagnoses or recognized treatments, collective action against climate change can be an effective solution to climate anxiety. There are other steps that can be taken to manage this anxiety. While more research is needed to identify the most effective strategies, health professionals suggest:

• Spend time in nature
• Engage in environmental activism
• Learn grounding techniques to deal with distressing emotions
• Seek support
• Practice intense physical activity
• Practice yoga
• Meditate
• Taking breaks to avoid burnout
• Perform small daily self-care actions

When eco-anxiety becomes overwhelming, seeking support from a “climate-aware” healthcare professional can be an important step. But care must be taken not to normalize or pathologize a natural human survival response.