a living, Growing source
The psychological roots and mental health impacts of the climate crisis appear in every aspect of our lives. They affect us personally and collectively influence the national mood, shaping our culture in a way that drives our economy, our politics, the quality of life in our communities. They are increasingly affecting how we treat each other. Greater attention to the mental health impacts of the climate crisis is needed and long overdue – the Ecopsychepedia addresses this.
The name Eco-psyche-pedia emphasizes that the ecological (eco) and the psychological (psyche) are linked and deeply intertwined. Each aspect affects the other. The ecological covers ecology, nature, the non-human, the planetary systems that support life, and much more. The psychological includes states of mind, studies of the brain, individual and group behaviors, and cultural factors.
The material has been developed by experts in the fields of climate mental health and human behavior. The Ecopsychepedia is written in simple language so everyone can understand it, and it is free so everyone can access it.
Being aware
You may want to consider the emotional impact of what you read. The Ecopsychepedia contains challenging topics, and reading about them may at times prove emotionally difficult. We want to encourage you to check in with your emotional experience while you read and reflect on how much you’d like to take in at once.
- If you’d like resources to support emotional processing, we recommend this list from the All We Can Save project.
- If you need support from a professional on climate-related issues, here is an international list of ways to get in touch with a mental health provider from the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America.