Correlation Between Climate Change and Dysphoria in Primary Care.

Area of Science:

• Environmental psychology
• Primary care medicine
• Mental health research

Background:

• Growing concern exists regarding the impact of climate change on public mental health.
• Previous research suggests a potential link between environmental stressors and psychological distress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between primary care patients' attitudes toward climate change and their levels of dysphoria.
• To quantify the relationship between climate change concern and mental health outcomes in a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted in 2013 with 571 adult primary care patients in southern Wisconsin.
• Climate change attitudes were assessed using a 46-point composite measure.
• Dysphoria was evaluated using a 13-point composite, incorporating the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-2).

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of concern about climate change was reported among patients.
• 22.5% of surveyed patients experienced symptoms of dysphoria.
• A statistically significant positive correlation (rs=0.345; P<0.001) was found between climate change concern and dysphoria scores.

Conclusions:

• Primary care patients express significant concern regarding climate change.
• This concern demonstrates a positive relationship with reported dysphoria.
• Further investigation is warranted to determine the extent to which climate change contributes to dysphoria.