As France exits 10 days of extreme temperatures, Hélène Jalin, a clinical psychologist specializing in eco-anxiety and a researcher at the Université de Nantes, analyzes the impact of heat waves in triggering or reactivating anxiety related to global warming and biodiversity loss.
Can heat waves be a trigger for eco-anxiety?
Yes, very clearly. Surveys conducted in England showed a significant increase in internet searches related to ecology and climate during the 2022 heat waves, connected to anxiety about some parts of the country reaching 40°C for the first time. Among my patients, I regularly see people slip into eco-anxiety during periods of intense heat. They experience what English speakers call the “Oh my god point” − that moment when the emotional weight of the crisis’s severity and scale becomes clear.
Heat waves can act as a sudden trigger for eco-anxiety because there is no escaping the heat: It affects our bodies, our homes − even our sleep. It makes the consequences of climate change visible, and sometimes physically unbearable.
Does heat worsen the condition of those who are already eco-anxious?
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