The Eco-Crisis, Our Future and Mental Health
The global environmental crisis causes harmful mental health and wellbeing effects, especially for young people. The eco-crisis, our future and mental health project (Ympäristö ja tulevaisuus mielessä, 2023-2025) offers support and materials free of charge for addressing challenging thoughts and emotions related to the eco-crisis and our future. The project also provides tools for volunteers, professionals, and parents to support young people in working through these thoughts and emotions.
The primary goal of the project is to support people who are vulnerable to emerging eco-anxiety (environmental anxiety) relating to the current ecological crisis of our planet: those working with or studying environmental sciences, people with a strong environmental identity, young people, individuals with other burdening life experiences, students, etc. Our goal is to offer them psychosocial tools to protect their mental wellbeing and the possibility to share and build supportive communities. These in turn will increase overall emotional resilience.
When the environmental crisis awakens challenging emotions, we offer support
Growing research and current reports show that the environmental crisis causes harmful mental health and wellbeing effects, but society’s support structures are still insufficient in this respect. In the middle of environmental changes and climate change, it is important to recognize and accept the feelings caused by these events. Practicing emotional skills helps amid environmental changes and the climate crisis.
Youth need support in their daily environments for the grief and anxiety caused by the eco-crisis. With support, living with emotions becomes easier and we can act better in our own everyday life for a more sustainable environment.
For those experiencing environmental and future concerns, we offer individual support and guidance, self-paced exercises and peer group activities. In addition, we run workshops and trainings about youth eco-anxiety for parents, volunteers and professionals.
The eco-crisis, our future and mental health project (2023-2025) is carried out by Tunne ry, Nyyti ry and MIELI Mental Health Finland. STEA, the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations in Finland, provides funding for the project. The current project continues the work of our previous project The Mind of Eco-anxiety (Ympäristöahdistuksen mieli, 2020–2022). During this project we produced in English “A brief guide to eco-emotions: an information pack for activities with young people and students”.
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