The role of collective grieving in supporting wellbeing and capacity for climate action

Ecological grief and anxiety are valid and potentially adaptive responses to climate change, but research on effective interventions for coping with these emotions remains limited. In this article, we focus on climate change-related grief and other difficult emotions. We investigated how group mourning practices for honoring climate-related loss influenced psychosocial wellbeing and capacity for climate action. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with adults (n = 15) who had participated in a climate-mental health program in Alberta, Canada. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results demonstrate that collectively honoring climate grief disrupted emotional repression, enabling participants to process their feelings. Sharing and witnessing vulnerable emotions with others was cathartic and helped participants cope with personal loss and stress. These practices enhanced interviewees' capacity for climate action. This study highlights how collectively honoring climate grief supports mental health and climate action.