Have you ever given a second thought to that coffee cup you
tossed out after finishing your latte? Have you ever considered cancelling that
trip to that friend or destination because of greenhouse gas emissions?
Moreover, have these seemingly benign afterthoughts ever caused or exacerbated anxiety
or depression for you?
Over the last few decades, there has been a well-documented
mental health crisis. Whether this has been due to better diagnoses, less
social stigmatization, or the rapidly changing landscape of society, it is
undeniable that younger generations are enduring mental health struggles. In
recent years, there has been an emergence of a new and unprecedented disruptions
to mental health – climate anxiety and ecological grief.
Whether you answered yes or no to the initial questions,
this discussion may provide the discourse, foundation, or validation for us to
together move forward with these issues, not past them. We will address
questions such as: What is climate anxiety? What is ecological grief? How might
they be impacting you or your peers? And what can we do about it?
