Public Health, Social Determinants and Population Health

MP3 - The Impact of the Climate Crisis on Behavioral Health: Understanding the Challenges, Opportunities and Imperatives

Monday, May 1, 2023

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Location: South Exhibit Hall HJK, Level 2, LACC

Poster Presenter(s)

Paul Thomlinson, Ph.D

Executive Director-Compass Health Research Institute
Compass Health Network
Springfield, Missouri
Aadin Miller, BS

Evaluation Research Coordinator
Compass Health Network
Clinton, Missouri

Insufficient attention has been paid to the intersection of climate change and behavioral health. We will offer solutions by providing introductions and overviews of the peer-reviewed literature on the most well-documented mental health effects of climate change and resultant extreme weather events and the results of the first known study of these effects in a large community behavioral health organization. We will describe our study method and results, along with implications and applications for similar providers and organizations. It will utilize research and survey data for recommended actions for community behavioral health providers.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the documented behavioral health impact of the climate crisis on the general population and those with serious mental illness.
Explain the emerging nomenclature of climate-related mental health conditions ranging from eco-anxiety to eco-empathy.
List at least three kinds of action that can be undertaken by behavioral health providers and organizations to address the effects of the climate crisis on human beings.