Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward

Climate change-related distress (CCRD) is a salient discourse, with contemporary resources for addressing CCRD currently dominated by positivist ideology. Such resources are problematic as they instil individualistic notions of behaviour change to combat climate change and CCRD, oversimplifying the...

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Main Author: Rana R. Kökçinar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia 2022-12-01
Series:Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71204
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author Rana R. Kökçinar
author_facet Rana R. Kökçinar
author_sort Rana R. Kökçinar
collection DOAJ
description Climate change-related distress (CCRD) is a salient discourse, with contemporary resources for addressing CCRD currently dominated by positivist ideology. Such resources are problematic as they instil individualistic notions of behaviour change to combat climate change and CCRD, oversimplifying the problem and shifting focus away from systemic power imbalances and injustices that overwhelmingly contribute to climate change and CCRD. Addressing CCRD should involve a shift from an individualistic focus to collaborative conversations and frameworks that have the capacity to consider inherently complex issues of cultural and epistemological diversity. One such framework that incorporates non-pathologising understandings of CCRD is the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF). Critical use of the PTMF to describe and support experiences of CCRD can be relevant for marginalised communities as it centres political, social, and relational contexts and assists in the cocreation of meaningful narratives while addressing systemic power imbalances and injustices, thus making way for collective action and empowerment processes for marginalised communities disproportionately affected by anthropogenic climate change.
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spelling doaj-art-aee4ad82ba7948a9b9af8e54606b452e2025-08-20T02:01:23ZengPsychotherapy and Counselling Federation of AustraliaPsychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia2201-70892022-12-0110210.59158/001c.71204Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way ForwardRana R. KökçinarClimate change-related distress (CCRD) is a salient discourse, with contemporary resources for addressing CCRD currently dominated by positivist ideology. Such resources are problematic as they instil individualistic notions of behaviour change to combat climate change and CCRD, oversimplifying the problem and shifting focus away from systemic power imbalances and injustices that overwhelmingly contribute to climate change and CCRD. Addressing CCRD should involve a shift from an individualistic focus to collaborative conversations and frameworks that have the capacity to consider inherently complex issues of cultural and epistemological diversity. One such framework that incorporates non-pathologising understandings of CCRD is the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF). Critical use of the PTMF to describe and support experiences of CCRD can be relevant for marginalised communities as it centres political, social, and relational contexts and assists in the cocreation of meaningful narratives while addressing systemic power imbalances and injustices, thus making way for collective action and empowerment processes for marginalised communities disproportionately affected by anthropogenic climate change.https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71204
spellingShingle Rana R. Kökçinar
Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
title Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
title_full Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
title_fullStr Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
title_full_unstemmed Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
title_short Climate Change-Related Distress Within the Dominant Mental Health Paradigm: Problems, Pitfalls, and a Possible Way Forward
title_sort climate change related distress within the dominant mental health paradigm problems pitfalls and a possible way forward
url https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71204
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