Environmental Disasters and Mental Health PureSilver67: When the climate throws up extreme events like cyclones, floods and droughts, the most visible impacts tend to be twisted metal, splintered timber and cracked earth. But a new report argues some of the most enduring and least considered effects of severe weather are the lingering psychological traumas. The report, published by The Climate Institute this week, examines the mental health issues and social dislocation that unchecked climate change could cause, based on the impact of recent floods, bushfires, droughts and cyclones. In A Climate of Suffering: the real costs of living with inaction on climate change, Professor Tony McMichael, of Australian National University’s National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, says the effects of climate change will go beyond physical damage. “This great and complex human-induced disruption to the global environment is not just ‘somewhere out there’. Increasingly, climate change will weaken the environmental and social conditions that underpin our physical and psychological health,” he says. EDITED The Climate Institute report argues taking action to cut human emission of greenhouse gases could be seen as a “preventative health” measure. In the report, North Queenslander Dr Allan Dale, who is chair of the area’s government-backed regional development committee, writes of the community-wide effect of 2006’s Cyclone Larry and February’s Cyclone Yasi. “Living for years in a slowly recovering and devastated built and natural environment brings its own downers,” he wrote. “Slowly, post-disaster trauma gathered its community toll. Once proud businesses called it a day and many long-term relationships finally broke. “Some older people simply gave up on life, too worn out to rebuild their lifetime’s work. Others decided they had had enough, packed up, and left the district altogether to avoid going through it again.” PureSilver67: During Queensland’s devastating January floods, Lifeline reported a 68 per cent increase in calls to its crisis line from the worst-affected areas of Brisbane, Bundaberg, Ipswich and Darling Downs. Linda Fielding, a manager for Lifeline’s counselling services run by UnitingCare Community, says Queensland flood victims suffered grief, loss, depression and thoughts of suicide. “When things happen that aren’t predictable or are outside our experience then we’re less able to cope,” she said. “Our resilience is low and so is our ability to cope. That’s when we’re more likely to have an emotional response.” EDITED “For children, the message should be that we are taking steps to reduce the severity of disasters with climate management and we are making steps to make our homes and communities safer.” Graham Reedfearn Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/environment/ disasters-take-toll-on-mental-health-20110830-1jju4.html#ixzz1Wn7QSetj I lived in Germany for a couple years and the Winter was very depressing ... all brown and grey and cold. I could imagine that going through a natural disaster and losing your home, your possessions, loved ones .... so much more devastating. My mum has a friend who lost her son-in-law and granddaughter (7yo) in the January floods. Tragic.  HardcoreHerbivore: Ever hear of the tar(oil) sands in Alberta.I call it the avatar sands.I`ve been there years ago when I worked as a welder.It is beyond belief,the destruction that has been caused out there. PureSilver67: No I hadn't heard of them .. just looked them up. It says that the largest deposits in the world are Canada and Venezuela - amazing! Although I don't understand why, if deposited as "bitumen" that they don't just use it as that, rather than refining it at such cost financially and to the environment. Humans in general just don't care ... It does seem that an environmental monitoring report has been released just this year ... nevertheless many of these reports seem to come out with recommendations that are never implemented. JeanYves72: All this is way over my head so I have to say that I admire anyone who can have such knowledge. The insight as all I know and am interested in is the end result. The getting there is not my forte.  PureSilver67: And that's maybe a heads up for me as to why there haven't been so many responses ... the articles I posted about generally state that environmental disasters (e.g. cyclones, floods) can and do have a huge impact on our mental health (i.e. can be the cause of depression etc.) ... with an increase in natural disasters due to differences/ changes in the world's climate we may end up seeing a greater level of depression. Therefore, taking action to not do so much damage to the world's climate could be seen as a preventative health action i.e. preventing an increase in environmental disasters and thus preventing an increase in mental health issues.  JeanYves72: You are an incredibly intelligent women on this subject Pure. You always amazed me with it. May have to dumb it down for us mere mortals. PureSilver67: No one is dumb JY (whether you're laughing at yourself or not). We ALL have our special talents, special interests, special forte - because that is where our "intelligence" lies - in understanding that subject. And each subject has it's own "language" - special words that are used within it, which when interested in it, we become adept at using. A mechanic has the intelligence to pull apart engines and put them back together again - and still have them working. A lawyer has the intelligence to understand legislation (who else does he he) and use it to bring someone to trial, defend or prosecute them. Both are able to have a certain level of understanding of each other's profession - but (in my opinion) there are few mechanics that could take someone to trial and few lawyers who could fix a car - this does not make one more intelligent than the other. PureSilver67: Back on topic: Growing medical evidence shows that access to the natural environment improves health and wellbeing, prevents disease and helps people recover from illness. Experiencing nature in the outdoors can help tackle obesity, coronary heart disease and mental health problems. (from Natural England) While experiencing natural disasters can have a negative impact on one's mental health, just experiencing nature at its best can have positive impacts. Enjoyment of the beauty, Relaxation, walking = health benefits, etc. |
thought I just had JY .... Thank You 
