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Evaluation ViewAttendees 4

Panel Discussions

Climate Change

Imperatives and opportunities for mental health professional to engage with mental health impacts of climate change

Panel Discussion 25 - Imperatives and Opportunities for Mental Health Professional to Engage with Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change

Saturday, November 16, 2024
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Congress A, Fourth Floor, Loews Hotel
Earn 1.5 Credit
Keywords: Climate Change, Global Mental Health, Community-Based
Recommended Readings:

Augustinavicius, J. L., Lowe, S. R., Massazza, A., Hayes, K., Denckla, C., White, R. G., Cabán-Alemán, C., Clayton, S., Verdeli, L., Berry, H. (2021) Global climate change and trauma: An International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Briefing Paper.

,  

Clayton, S., Manning, C. M., Hill, A. N., & Speiser, M. (2023). Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023. Washington, D.C.:American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica

,   Middleton, J., Cunsolo, A., Jones-Bitton, Wright, C.J. & Harper, S.L. (2020) Indigenous mental health in a changing climate: a systematic scoping review of the global literature. Environmental Research Letters, 15 (5), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab68a9,   ,  
As the accelerating impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, growing attention has focused on related consequences for the mental health and wellbeing (American Psychological Association, 2021; 2023). There is also increasing recognition of the need for mental health professionals, including CBT practitioners, to contribute their skills and effort towards meeting this mental health burden and in advocating for greater awareness and rapid response within the mental health community and in support of related government policy. Although involvement in climate change and mental health work can take many forms, opportunities for meaningful engagement can be hard to identify. This panel will orient the audience to the mental health consequences of climate change and provide examples of opportunities for engagement, including through: clinician education; engagement with affected communities and youth, educational systems, parent groups and media; the development and delivery of mental health supports and interventions in conventional and community settings; public and government advocacy. Panelists will describe their work with leading national and global initiatives to develop, adapt and implement mental health interventions and psychosocial supports in the context of climate change. Panelists will also describe needs and opportunities for CBT practitioners and trainees to expand their clinical repertoire to incorporate climate change related concerns, and for clinical researchers and scholars to contribute to the growing understanding and evidence of the mental health impacts. Panelists will also review steps CBT practitioners may follow to increase their capacity as effective climate change and mental health advocates and describe examples of ongoing global, national, and local government advocacy initiatives led by mental health professionals. This panel represents a timely opportunity to facilitate increased engagement of clinicians, researchers, and trainees in the ABCT community.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe the mental health impacts of climate change, in particular in vulnerable populations.
  2. Explain the relevance and applicability of their training and expertise in responding to climate change.
  3. List opportunities for CBT practitioners to apply their skills in responding to climate change-related mental health needs.
  4. Describe opportunities to engage as advocates for addressing the mental health and related impacts of climate change.
  5. Describe approaches to engage with vulnerable communities to support mental health and engagement in advocacy.