Anxiety, Worry, and Grief in a Time of Environmental and Climate Crisis: A Narrative Review

Ojala, Maria; Cunsolo, Ashlee; Ogunbode, Charles A.; Middleton, Jacqueline

doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-022716

Cited by 670Climate Change Communication and PerceptionCOVID-19 and Mental HealthEnvironmental Philosophy and Ethics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 133 of the 133 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Anxiety, Worry, and Grief in a Time of Environmental and Climate Crisis: A Narrative Review

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Ojala, Maria, Cunsolo, Ashlee, Ogunbode, Charles A., Middleton, Jacqueline·2021·Annual Review of Environment and Resources

DOI 10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-022716

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Abstract

Climate change worry, eco-anxiety, and ecological grief are concepts that have emerged in the media, public discourse, and research in recent years. However, there is not much literature examining and summarizing the ways in which these emotions are expressed, to what processes they are related, and how they are distributed. This narrative review aims to ( a) summarize research about the relationships between, on the one hand, negative emotions in relation to climate change and other environmental problems and, on the other hand, mental well-being among people in different parts of the world and ( b) examine studies that have explored the potentially constructive role of worry—for example, in the form of providing motivation to act. It is clear from this review that negative emotions regarding environmental problems are normal, and often constructive, responses.Yet, given the nature, range, and extent of these emotions, it is important to identify diverse place-based and culturally relevant strategies to help people cope.

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Because the climate crisis is complex and lacks a clear solution, anxiety can easily become too intense and even overwhelming.
“However, because the climate crisis is so complex and lacks a clear solution, anxiety can easily become too intense and even overwhelming. 5-7”
From Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey (2021) · cites this paper as [5]
Emotional engagement with climate change can be a positive experience.
“However, emotional engagement with climate change can also be a positive experience.”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Emotional engagement with climate change can promote self-efficacy and positive psychological adaptation while strengthening resolve and responsibility for climate action.
“It can promote self-efficacy and positive psychological adaptation while strengthening resolve and responsibility for climate action. 9”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Climate-specific psychological responses include climate anxiety, solastalgia and ecological grief.
“Climate-specific psychological responses include climate anxiety (worry, dread and fear evoked by awareness of climate change and its impacts) or eco-anxiety, 9-11 solastalgia (feelings of distress, loss and grief arising from environmental change affecting a person's sense of connection to place) 12 and ecological grief. 13”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Reported emotions related to climate change include anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, depression, anger, grief, shame or powerlessness.
“Reported emotions include anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, depression, anger, grief, shame or powerlessness. 9-11”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]

Isolation can worsen climate distress.
“Normalising climate distress within a collective process can be validating, 21,22 whereas isolation can worsen climate distress. 9,11”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Encouraging collective pro-environmental action can be empowering, enabling and sustaining hope while providing social support from like-minded peers.
“Encouraging collective pro-environmental action can be empowering: enabling and sustaining hope while providing social support from like-minded peers. 9,33”
From Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Previous work has identified meaning-focused coping as a strategy that protects mental health and wellbeing in children and young people, while encouraging pro-environmental behaviour.
“Previous work has identified meaning-focused coping—relating to trust in societal actors, acting in line with values, and focusing on hopeful framings—as a strategy that protects mental health and wellbeing in children and young people, while encouraging pro-environmental behaviour.49”
From Psychological responses, mental health, and sense of agency for the dual challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in the UK: an online survey study (2022) · cites this paper as [49]
This strategy highlights the importance of perceived controllability of a crisis, opportunities to act, and the power of hope in facilitating constructive behaviour and adaptive coping.
“This strategy highlights the importance of perceived controllability of a crisis, opportunities to act, and the power of hope in facilitating constructive behaviour and adaptive coping.”
From Psychological responses, mental health, and sense of agency for the dual challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in the UK: an online survey study (2022) · cites this paper as [49]

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Authors: Ojala, M., Cunsolo, A., Ogunbode, C. A., & Middleton, J.
Affiliations: Örebro University (SE)
Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA)
University of Nottingham (GB)
University of Alberta (CA)
ORCID: Ojala, Maria
Cunsolo, Ashlee
Ogunbode, Charles A.
Middleton, Jacqueline
Venue: Annual Review of Environment and Resources
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Published: 2021-10-18
Volume: 46
Issue: 1
Pages: 35-58
ISSN: 1543-5938 (ISSN-L)
1545-2050
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-022716
OpenAlex: W3170826695
Cited by: 670
References: 133
Citations by year: 2026: 132 · 2025: 194 · 2024: 177 · 2023: 102 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 7
FWCI: 16.42
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (unspecified)
Locations: Annual Review of Environment and Resources (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
Keywords: climate anxiety, climate change concern, ecological grief, negative emotions, psychological well-being, environmental problems, coping strategies, place-based approach, cultural relevance, climate crisis

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Anxiety, Worry, and Grief in a Time of Environmental and Climate Crisis: A Narrative Review

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