The medical community is increasingly recognizing the significant stress and anxiety that people are experiencing over the climate crisis. Extreme weather events have significant social and mental health consequences, ranging from low-level stress to overt clinical conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. These psychological effects are compounded by other social and environmental stressors. Vulnerable groups that experience poverty and lack access to health-promoting community infrastructure, housing, and clinical care are often also at a heightened risk of other exposures such as increased temperature, air pollution, and extreme weather events. Additionally, health care providers – themselves – are experiencing increased stressors due to both the climate crisis and job-related pressures leading to increased burnout and exodus from clinical care. ‘Eco-anxiety,’ a term used to describe stress as it relates to climate, coupled with the ongoing stressors of the pandemic and racial inequities must be recognized and managed to protect the health of both providers and patients.
This conference will address the trauma of multiple crises and refer to themes of community, protection, and resilience. Presentations will include: clinical practice and research updates related to climate change and mental health; cross-disciplinary communication strategies; and opportunities to address both providers and patients’ eco-anxiety. Further, there will be an evidence-based exploration of the path forward and solutions that can mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change on mental health at the community, health system, and national level. This conference will discuss the role of advocacy and ways to build new community partnerships to address the climate crisis and protect the health of all.
Learn more and register at www.clinicalclimatechange.com
Friday, January 7, 2022 at 9:30am to 3:00pm
Virtual Event