--- title: Climate Change Causes Anxiety, Depression, Report Says description: The impacts of climate change on individuals extend beyond health effects like asthma and heat-related ailments to mental health canonical: https://time.com/4719009/climate-change-mental-health/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-30T20:14:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:11.065Z article:section: Science og:title: The Climate Change Problem No One Talks About: Anxiety and Depression og:description: The mental health effects come on top of other physical health effects og:url: https://time.com/4719009/climate-change-mental-health/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Climate Change Problem No One Talks About: Anxiety and Depression twitter:description: The mental health effects come on top of other physical health effects twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The Climate Change Problem No One Talks About: Anxiety and Depression > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=ce53ac53-dc0d-47df-88fc-641dfd3811f7&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Friday (1x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 40,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 34.2% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 2.1% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Senior leaders shaping the climate transition. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: President Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Environmental Regulations [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Environmental Regulations](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/qkefzOtF.m3u8) (1:37)  _Published 2017-03-28. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to roll back key environmental regulations that were established under the Obama Administration._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 30, 2017 8:14 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 30, 2017 8:14 PM UTC Climate change doesn’t just affect people.’s [physical health](http://time.com/4280796/white-house-climate-change-public-health/) by exacerbating problems like asthma — it can also cause mental health issues like anxiety and depression, according to a new [report](http://ecoamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ea%5Fapa%5Fmental%5Fhealth%5Freport%5Fweb.pdf) Researchers behind the report from the [American Psychological Association ](http://www.apa.org/)and [ecoAmerica](https://ecoamerica.org/) say the mental health impacts come both immediately following extreme [weather events](http://time.com/4255428/climate-change-extreme-weather/) tied to climate change and gradually as temperatures and sea levels rise over the course of years and decades. Trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression all rank among the ailments linked to climate change, according to the report, which examines data from dozens of previous studies. “When you think about climate change, mental health might not be the first thing that comes to mind,” write Howard S. Kurtzman of the American Psychological Association and Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica in a letter accompanying the report. But “the tolls on our mental health are far reaching.” The mental health effects of climate change can contribute to the destabilization of a community, according to the report. In agricultural communities, for example, global warming’s threat to people’s livelihood can cause stress. In indigenous communities, climate change can threaten cultural heritage, in some cases forcing communities to relocate from their native lands, which can in turn lead to mental health issues. The report offers a number of potential steps to help people and communities combat the mental health effects of climate change, including building social connections and fostering confidence in people’s own resilience. 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