In the past year, environmental concerns have surged in the United States. Wildfires in Los Angeles, floods in Asheville, and snow in New Orleans, to name a few. These individual events exist alongside the increasing problems of global warming and plastic pollution. Regrettably, countries have been falling short in addressing these problems and the future does not look any brighter. We frequently discuss the physical and financial effects of environmental abuse. But what if I told you that the impact on mental health was just as serious? Let’s take a closer look:

Air quality

Have you ever passed by an oil refinery billowing white and black smoke? How did it make you feel? If you are like me, you reacted with a mix of concern and disgust. Now, imagine living in heavily populated parts of China, where air pollution is a way of life. Doesn’t sound fun. As we have been learning for years, air pollution is a known threat to our physical health. Now, emerging research is beginning to illustrate that it is also a major problem for our mental health. Pollution isn’t simply unpleasant and makes us feel bad for a few minutes; exposure has been linked to specific psychiatric disorders. It is associated with depression, anxiety, and dementia. Pollution has even been connected to schizophrenia and psychosis. If you are considering living near an area with high levels of air pollution, you may want to reconsider.

Heat

The earth is warming at an alarming rate, which might be good for your tan, but has several negative consequences for your mental health. Higher temperatures are related to increased irritability, impulsivity, aggressive behavior, and suicide. Heat seems especially problematic for developing brains. High temperatures impair children’s ability to concentrate and learn. It is also associated with more pediatric psychiatric emergencies and childhood behavioral disorders. Finally, heat appears to exacerbate mental health symptoms across many diagnoses. Specific mental health conditions worsened by extreme temperatures include substance use disorders, anxiety, mood disorders, and schizophrenia.

Infectious Disease

The spread of infectious disease is also largely attributed to increasing temperatures. Changes in global climates are shifting the distribution of pathogens to environments that can now support them. Additionally, diseases will survive longer in places where they previously would have died due to colder temperatures. For example, bats carry diseases that survive in higher temperatures, making environmental transmission likelier than before. If that sounds familiar it is because it is hypothesized that COVID-19 may have originated in bats.

However, you may be wondering, “What do infectious diseases have to do with mental health?” Not only do widespread infections lead to hysteria, but they also can disrupt our daily lives and lead to isolation and division. Does anyone think the coronavirus outbreak was good for our mental health? Plus, they can have direct impacts on the development of certain psychiatric disorders. For example, children with streptococcal infections are more susceptible to OCD and tic disorders. Another lesser-known but increasing infection, leptospirosis, is associated with depression, dementia, and psychosis.

Nutrition

Droughts, floods, and warming habitats have led to decreases in the global food supply. More specifically, every degree-celsius rise in the earth’s mean temperature is accompanied by a 5 to 15% decrease in global crop production. Needless to say, hunger is not good for your mental health. Additionally, increased CO2 in the atmosphere causes plants to produce more carbohydrates, diluting essential minerals like zinc and iron. This is called the “nutrient dilution effect”, meaning we are getting fewer minerals crucial for brain health. What’s more, zinc deficiency is strongly associated with depression and psychosis, whereas a lack of iron has been connected with bipolar disorder.

Natural Disasters

Finally, this leads us to the environmental concern that gets the most attention, natural disasters. Every time we look at our computers or turn on our TVs, we seem inundated with the latest evidence of ecological catastrophe. Environmental tragedies upend lives in an instant but leave lasting psychological impacts. Can you imagine what it is like to have your home and community ruined in hours? You don’t have to be a mental health professional to recognize the stress and feelings of despair and hopelessness that must accompany such events.

Not many people have the coping skills to effectively deal with such upheaval. A natural disaster destroys our basic needs. We no longer feel secure in our surroundings. People are worrying too much to sleep and frequently have insomnia. This leads to quick remedies for addressing the pain, such as drugs and alcohol. It is no wonder that environmental calamities are associated with several psychiatric disorders. Directly experiencing a natural disaster increases the prevalence of post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD), depressive disorder, anxiety, and grief.

Environmental Impacts on Mental Health Deserve Our Attention

As environmental concerns continue to be disregarded, we should expect an increase in the impact they have on mental health. People will suffer more severe psychological effects every year. Unfortunately, this will affect our children the most. Sadly, if most in the government don’t care enough about the current environmental impact on the earth and physical health, surely no one is going to make a substantial change based on the emerging evidence related to mental health. But we must continue to bang the drum on these issues, especially as they become more evident. The well-being of future generations is in our hands.