Psychoanalysts examine the mental health impact of the climate crisis

Psychologists and psychoanalysts are examining the mental health implications of the global climate crisis, specifically focusing on the phenomenon of eco-anxiety.

Denise Fleury suggests that eco-anxiety manifests differently across age groups, appearing as diffuse fears in children, hopelessness in youth, and stress in adults. She proposes using literature and the arts as tools to manage this distress, emphasizing the role of adults as emotional mediators who can foster a sense of connection rather than denying the reality of environmental destruction.

Spanish psychoanalyst Josep Maria Panés, in his work ‘The Madness of Progress’, argues that the ecological crisis is a symptom of contemporary social dynamics. He posits that the crisis cannot be solved by science or politics alone, as it is rooted in a psychological drive for infinite consumption and instant gratification. Panés utilizes Freudian and Lacanian concepts to explain how modern capitalism produces perpetual dissatisfaction, leading to a collective “refusal to know” about the environmental consequences of current production and consumption patterns.