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Li C, Lawrance EL, Morgan G, Brown R, Greaves N, Krzanowski J, Samuel S, Guinto RR, Belkin G. The role of mental health professionals in the climate crisis: an urgent call to action. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:563-570. [PMID: 36165755 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2097005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The climate and ecological crisis will constitute the defining public health challenge of the twenty-first century, posing an unprecedented global threat to all determinants of health, and to healthcare delivery systems. We believe that mental health professionals have a crucial role to play in responding to this crisis. Whilst responding to the mental health consequences of the climate crisis will remain a key role for us as mental health professionals, we argue that our remit goes beyond this, and should include advancing public understanding of the climate crisis, highlighting its impact on physical and mental wellbeing, and advocating for systemic changes to limit its impending harms. This paper is an urgent call to action for all mental health professionals to take up a role in the context of the climate and ecological crisis. This paper will describe the relationship between mental health and climate change, and frame it within wider systemic and conceptual frameworks. It will demonstrate that as mental health professionals we are well placed to act as leaders of change-arguing that we have a duty to do so-and suggest actions that can be implemented depending on interests, skill sets and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching Li
- Sustainability and Planetary Health Committee, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK.,Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma L Lawrance
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, Mental Health Innovations, London, UK
| | - Gareth Morgan
- School of Psychology, University of Leicester, UK; Association of Clinical Psychologists' Climate Action Network, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Natalie Greaves
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies- Cave Hill, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Jacob Krzanowski
- Sustainability and Planetary Health Committee, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Renzo R Guinto
- Planetary and Global Health Program, St. Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial, Quezon City, Philippines.,Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Gary Belkin
- Visiting Scientist
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Founder
- Billion Minds Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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