Eco-anxiety in the times of climate crisis: a grounded theory inquiry

A contextual perspective on mental health is critical in developing a comprehensive understanding of wellbeing in line with the precepts of Geopsychiatry. A review of the literature indicates a limited understanding of how people deal with the global climate crisis using a geo-psychiatry perspective. The experience of awakening to the climate crisis has been described using the term “eco-anxiety”. A lack of in-depth exploration of this subjective experience has meant a fragmented theory. To contribute to our understanding of eco-anxiety, the current study explores qualitative aspects of this experience, looking at the reports of eco-anxiety experienced by people who self-reported attending a group psycho-ecological intervention for facing the climate crisis. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, critical realist ontology and moderate social constructionist epistemology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 adults who self-identified as experiencing “eco-anxiety” and had attended an ecopsychology support group. Two core categories of theory emerged: “the psychosocial processes of eco-anxiety” and “the psychosocial processes of regeneratively sustained eco-anxiety”. The results are explored through figures that analogise the seasons, demonstrating the participants' reported process of psychosocial adaptation: the growth and expansion of the self in the face of eco-anxiety, reflecting the integration of experiences. This metaphor does not suggest a linear process. Participants described moving bidirectionally. Despite the challenges, group participants report that the process of awareness can lead to a more connected way of life and ultimately the development of psychosocial resilience, which is essential for navigating sustained mutual care in the face of global environmental instability.