Eco-anxiety: Towards a medical model and the new framework of ecolalgia

Introduction

In the context of global warming, new terms emerged in the global media and in the psychology field to embody the negative feelings which come along with climate change such as ‘eco-anxiety’ or ‘solastalgia’. The pathological character of these emotions is denied although medical opinion is often required for helping people to handle them. Also, no proper medical framework in the field exists to study and care for these patients.

Methods

In this narrative review, we aim to (1) analyse the concept of eco-anxiety by focusing on its history and developed concepts, (2) summarize the different scales built to assess eco-anxiety and (3) propose a new medical framework.

Results

We came out with a framework based on the transformation of a physiological adaptative behaviour the ‘eco-distress’. It is composed of three dimensions: eco-anger, eco-grief and eco-worry, it is not debilitating in daily life and promotes coping strategies such as management of negative emotions and pro-environmental behaviours (PEB). It can transform itself into a pathological state, the ‘ecolalgia’, composed of two core dimensions: eco-anxiety and eco-depression, leading to functional impairment and decrease in PEB. If ecolalgia maintains over 15 days, we propose to consider it as a full psychiatric disorder needing medical advice.

Conclusion

This new framework enables a novel approach that is necessary for the improved management of mental health issues related to climate change.