Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change: Considerations for Nurse Practitioners

Effect of Global Climate Change Concern on Environmental Sensitivity of Nursing Students

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of global climate change concern on environmental sensitivity in nursing students.

DESIGN

This study was descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational.

SAMPLE

The study was conducted with undergraduate nursing students (n = 350).

METHOD

Descriptive Information Form, Climate Change Worry Scale, and Environmental Sensitivity Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. The relationship between global climate change concern and environmental sensitivity of nursing students was evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis, and the effect of climate change concern on environmental sensitivity of nursing students was evaluated by simple regression analysis.

RESULTS

It was determined that there was a positive and moderately significant relationship between the mean total scores of the Climate Change Concern Scale and the mean total scores of the Environmental Sensitivity Scale (r = 0.388, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

As a result of this study, it was found that as nursing students' concern about global climate change increased, their sensitivity toward the environment also increased.

Climate change worry among nurses and their hope levels for climate change prevention

AIM

This research aimed to determine nurses' climate change worry, their level of hope for climate change prevention, and the relationship between climate change worry and hope for climate change.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are healthcare professionals actively involved in the fight against climate change. However, their close involvement with the issue can also increase their own climate change worry. Therefore, it is important to maintain high levels of hope among nurses in preventing climate change.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with nurses working at a university hospital.

RESULTS

The average score on the Climate Change Worry Scale for nurses was 29.22 ± 9.33, with sub-dimensions scores as follows: personal-sphere will and way 10.96 ± 2.09; collective sphere will 18.36 ± 3.39; lack of will and way dimensions 10.40 ± 2.48. The average score on the climate change hope scale was 39.73 ± 5.52. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between age and the climate change worry scale (r = 0.169, p = 0.020) as well as climate change hope (r = 0.148, p = 0.041).

CONCLUSION

The research findings indicate that nurses have a high level of climate change worry, but they also have a high level of hope in preventing climate change. It is considered essential to address the concerns of nurses who are actively combating the climate crisis.

Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Content in Canadian Baccalaureate Nursing Programs

BACKGROUND

This study analyzed publicly available resources related to environmental and climate change material available within the Canadian Bachelor of Nursing Program curricula.

METHOD

This thematic review project contained two stages of data collection: (1) a comprehensive team-based review of Internet materials and (2) a digital survey of program faculties.

RESULTS

Most content reviewed included references to climate change. According to survey responses from program directors (n = 12), barriers to integrating climate change content included lack of institutional support, the perception that content was not important in undergraduate curriculum, a conviction that the material would be more appropriate for public health, and an overall lack of understanding of the topic by course authors.

CONCLUSION

With increasing emphasis on the importance of geopolitical health and climate change to many facets of nursing practice, nurse educators require support from colleagues and postsecondary institutions to incorporate this material into undergraduate nursing curricula. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(4):212-217.].

The perspectives of nurses, as prominent advocates in sustainability, on the global climate crises and its impact on mental health

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the perspective of nurses in Turkey towards the global climate crisis and its impact on mental health using a qualitative approach.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This study was conducted from August to September 2023 with 35 nurses living in seven regions of Turkey using an inductive qualitative approach. The researchers employed the snowball sampling method to select participants. Interviews with the participants were conducted until data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was used to emerge themes.

RESULTS

The findings revealed five main themes (perception of the global climate crisis, effects of the global climate crisis, effects of the global climate crisis on mental health, reflections of the global climate crisis on nursing and nurses' views on prevention and intervention studies for the global climate crisis). Also, the findings revealed 12 sub-themes (physical outcomes, mental outcomes, direct and indirect impacts, psychosocial effects and personal, national and international-based reflections).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicates that nurses exhibit genuine concern for the global climate crisis and experience psychological effects related to this pressing environmental issue. Nurses are keenly aware of their responsibility to safeguard the planet and demonstrate a strong sense of concern for the state of the world.

IMPACT

It is evident that nurses, being prominent advocates for sustainability, are cognizant of their responsibility to protect the planet and demonstrate genuine apprehension for the state of the world.

IMPLICATIONS

Nurses play a crucial role, as they make up 60% of the global healthcare workforce and are often the frontline healthcare professionals during natural disasters. It is vital to elucidate and clarify the terminology concerning the relationship between the climate crisis and the mental health of nurses, to determine the scope of this relationship and to make recommendations for future research areas.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or Public Contribution.

Solastalgia and Forest Fires

One of the important problems created by climate change is forest fires. Forest fires occur due to both natural and anthropogenic causes. Forest fires, which occur with the effects of climate change such as an increase in temperature, drought, heat waves, and climatic conditions, are increasing gradually. Acute and chronic effects caused by forest fires cause significant life changes. As a result of the fire, not only forests are damaged, but also flora, wildlife, water resources, soil, climate, areas used by people for recreational purposes, and settlements near and around forested areas. As a result, changes such as increases in temperature, pollution, epidemics, drought, food shortage, and forest fires, affect mental and physical health. While exposure to forest fires creates a direct traumatic effect; indirectly, it affects mental health for a number of social, political and economic reasons such as poverty, unemployment and housing. Forest fires also create an environmental change. This environmental change creates a sense of loss, the sense of belonging is lost, it cannot connect with the new environment, it becomes difficult to adapt and causes distress.Uncertainty about the future, helplessness, stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression are common psychological problems due to climate change. It defines some new mental health concepts as the consequences of climate change affect mental health. "Solastalgia" is one pf these new concepts. Solastalgia is defined as a term that expresses the pain and distress caused by the loss of the thing/things that people find solace and environmental change. Solastalgia is a necessary concept for mental health professionals to understand the links between ecosystem health and human health, especially the cumulative effects of climatic and environmental change on mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Eco-anxiety in youth: An integrative literature review

Climate change-related eco-anxiety in young people has made headlines around the world, but most study of this phenomenon has been limited to adults. Eco-anxiety is still not well defined in the literature, but generally refers to distress, worry, or concern related to the climate change crisis. Young people will be chronologically more exposed to climate change-related harms and problems, and this may be causing increased eco-anxiety in this population. This literature review aimed to summarize the relevant works on eco-anxiety in young people, provide a critique of the literature, identify gaps, and discuss the relevance to nursing practice. A literature search using multiple databases and other sources was completed, using applicable key terms and resulted in 23 sources to inform the review. Key themes of eco-anxiety definition variation, hopelessness and burden in young people, and responses to eco-anxiety are discussed, and critical analysis is undertaken. The main conclusions include a broad working definition of eco-anxiety that does not pathologize the eco-anxiety experience but recognizes that it can cause suffering. Also discussed is the role of nurses in reducing the potential or actual suffering of youth through hope promotion, challenging binary thinking patterns, building emotional resilience, encouraging action or involvement in climate change spheres, and promoting climate justice and advocacy. Recommendations for further research are offered.

A Review of the Impact That Healthcare Risk Waste Treatment Technologies Have on the Environment

Health-Care Risk Waste (HCRW) treatment protects the environment and lives. HCRW is waste from patient diagnostics, immunization, surgery, and therapy. HCRW must be treated before disposal since it pollutes, spreads illnesses, and causes harm. However, waste treatment increases the healthcare sector's carbon footprint, making the healthcare sector a major contributor to anthropogenic climate change. This is because treating HCRW pollutes the environment and requires a lot of energy. Treating HCRW is crucial, but its risks are not well-studied. Unintentionally, treating HCRW leads to climate change. Due to frequent climate-related disasters, present climate-change mitigation strategies are insufficient. All sectors, including healthcare, must act to mitigate and prevent future harms. Healthcare can reduce its carbon footprint to help the environment. All contributing elements must be investigated because healthcare facilities contribute to climate change. We start by evaluating the environmental impact of different HCRW treatment technologies and suggesting strategies to make treatments more sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable to lower the carbon footprint.