The AP (11/12, Wells) reports that surveys from the American Psychiatric Association “have repeatedly shown that a significant number of Americans experience climate anxiety.” A study published earlier this year in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found that “while Generalized Anxiety Disorder often involves the part of the brain that handles fear, threat and emotion, climate anxiety activates parts of the brain that help with high cognition, willpower and tenacity.” Because the threat is indefinite, “it’s largely out of each person’s control and addressing it requires repeated and variable action.” Because climate anxiety is “such a big part of climate action,” the COP30 conference “has increased the number of mental health programs offered during the event, including several that focus on boosting mental health, building psychological resilience in the face of climate change and integrating mental health discussions in education.”
Related Links:
— “Climate change is in the news during COP30. We’ve got tips to tackle your climate anxiety,”Caleigh Wells, AP, November 12, 2025