Earth(quakes), Winds, and Fires Can Shake Your Mental Health
Mental health reactions to climate events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and extreme heat waves, are widespread and can affect people in various ways, including anxiety, depression, and heightened awareness of threats. Jeffrey Katzman, MD, Director of the Silver Hill Academy for Research and Education (SHARE) at Silver Hill Hospital discusses the concept solastalgia – distress caused by environmental change.
Dr. Katzman shares that solastalgia “describes the way we are connected to and moved by the Earth, and a yearning for those experiences…”