The relationship between climate change and mental health information-seeking: a preliminary investigation

Williams, Marc 2020. The relationship between climate change and mental health information-seeking: a preliminary investigation. Journal of Public Mental Health 20 , pp. 69-78. 10.1108/JPMH-04-2020-0025

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Abstract

Purpose Extreme weather events are known to be detrimental to well-being, and there is a growing interest in anxiety connected to unfolding climate change. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the global association between information-seeking relating to climate change and mental health. Design/methodology/approach By using Big Data from Google searches and website traffic, evidence is presented that worldwide information-seeking for climate change and mental health-related terms are highly correlated. Regression analyses account for seasonal variation that is known to influence online searches for mental health terms. Findings There is an association between climate change and mental health-related information-seeking for the period of 2006–2020. This paper proposes causal models to account for the data, with future directions for how these could be tested. Originality/value This is the first paper according to the author’s knowledge to demonstrate a strong association between information-seeking for climate change and mental health and highlights the importance of considering mental health issues in the era of rapid climate change.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Psychology
Publisher:	Emerald
ISSN:	1746-5729
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 October 2020
Date of Acceptance:	16 August 2020
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 20:35
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/135415

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