The Inuit community of Rigolet, Labrador on the eastern edge of Canada have been experiencing the effects of global warming on their local glaciers. The once thick layer of frozen over lakes and streams considered as the “highway”, is now melting making the roads dangerous and unreliable for crossing over. The rate of temperature warming the region has more than doubled in comparison to the rest of the world due to climate change and arctic amplification when reflective ice melts to reveal darker ocean waters causing a feedback loop. However, besides for the effects on travel and hunting, the change in the environment has taken a toll on mental health as well.  When people are so reliant on the land, a subtle change can have a large affect making minds anxious, feeling stuck, and even depressed, driving people to addictive behaviors. The inability for men to hunt in the colder temperatures as they do to provide for their families, leaves them uneasy not only about nutrients but also at loss for their standard social life through hunting.

Studies have shown a strong correlation with climate change and mental health as felt by the Inuits. Whether it be stress and anxiety from losing one’s home or the scarcity of food and water, severe weather change has disrupted families’ and communities’ normal everyday life. According to the American Psychiatric Association, children are more likely to be impacted by post-traumatic stress symptoms after an extreme weather event than adults. Disruption in everyday life as a result of food scarcity, loss of employment, and strains on social relationships are associated with aggression and domestic violence.  It may begin with acute stress disorder including depersonalization, detachment, and an altered sense of reality, but after four weeks if symptoms persist, the disorder proceeds to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also common as a result of severe climate change are depression and anxiety leading to feeling of worthlessness and panic attacks. Overall, climate change greatly impacts not only our physical environment, but also our emotional well-being whether it be mental health issues post traumatic event or anxiety in anticipation of future catastrophic events.

 

 

Albeck-ripka, Livia. “Why Lost Ice Means Lost Hope for an Inuit Village.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/25/climate/arctic-climate-change.html.

“Climate Change and Mental Health : AJN The American Journal of Nursing.” LWW, journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Fulltext/2017/04000/Climate_Change_and_Mental_Health.28.aspx.

“How Climate-Related Natural Disasters Affect Mental Health.” Climate Change and Mental Health, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climate-change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mental-health.