A narrative exploration of how clinical psychologists deal with the climate and ecological emergency

The discipline of clinical psychology is waking up to the climate crisis. There is growing consensus that the mental and physical health impacts of climate and ecological change will be significant, and will compound existing health and social inequalities. Whilst many UK clinical psychologists recognise climate change as professionally relevant, there is no literature documenting their level of awareness about the threats of climate change to psychological wellbeing, how they perceive the intersection of their professional role and climate change adaptation, and whether as professionals they are taking a stance on climate change. This exploratory, qualitative study seeks to address this knowledge gap. Interviews were conducted with 13 clinical psychologists working in the National Health Service (NHS). Narrative analysis was used to explore how they perceived their roles and factors influencing engagement with the climate crisis. Analysis revealed identity dilemmas and social narratives about the profession influencing whether and how clinical psychologists adopted a climate-concerned position in their professional lives. Results are discussed in the context of a social identity approach to understanding climate action, and offer insight into the challenges and opportunities for the profession to fulfil its ethical responsibilities towards the human and more-than-human world.