Eco-Anxiety and Pandemic Distress: Psychological Perspectives on Resilience and Interconnectedness

The way humans experience the natural world is changing due to environmental destruction, leading to more frequent and intense experiences of eco-anxiety. This anthology presents international and interdisciplinary perspectives on eco-anxiety, focusing on pandemics and the climate crisis. It builds upon and moves beyond the latest research in environmental psychology, conservation psychology, and clinical psychology, offering critical insights into the human experience of confronting eco-anxiety.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

As environmental destruction intensifies worldwide, the way humans engage with the natural world undergoes a profound transformation, leading to an increase in the prevalence and intensity of eco-anxiety experiences. Eco-anxiety transcends personal and social boundaries, permeating the relationships individuals have with Earth's life, land, air, and water. This anthology explores international and interdisciplinary perspectives on eco-anxiety, with a particular focus on two prominent sources of eco-anxiety in today's world: pandemics, particularly in the context of COVID-19, and the climate crisis.

From the microscopic realm of viruses to the vast expanse of Earth's atmosphere, instability in natural systems is generating unprecedented psychological distress, encompassing anxiety and related emotional or affective states such as grief, anger, guilt, and depression. Eco-Anxiety and Pandemic Distress builds upon and extends the latest research in environmental psychology, conservation psychology, and clinical psychology. Traditional research paradigms in these fields primarily rely on experimental and observational methodologies that analyze quantitative data. In contrast, this book delves into the rich traditions of social and cultural psychology in dialogue with other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. The outcome is a nuanced understanding of the human experience of grappling with eco-anxiety, providing critical insights into the subjective worlds of individuals as they navigate the interconnected existential threats posed by the climate crisis and pandemics.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 242 x 162 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197622674