Health Implications of Climate Change: a Review of the Literature About the Perception of the Public and Health Professionals
By Julia Hathaway & Edward W. Maibach
Summary
Through a systematic search of English language peer-reviewed studies, we assess how health professionals and the public, worldwide, perceive the health implications of climate change. Recent Findings Among health professionals, perception that climate change is harming health appears to be high, although selfassessed knowledge is low, and perceived need to learn more is high. Among the public, few North Americans can list any health impacts of climate change, or who is at risk, but appear to view climate change as harmful to health. Among vulnerable publics in Asia and Africa, awareness of increasing health harms due to specific changing climatic conditions is high. Americans across the political and climate change opinion spectra appear receptive to information about the health aspects of climate change, although findings are mixed. Summary Health professionals feel the need to learn more, and the public appears open to learning more, about the health consequences of climate change.
ITRC Coordinator Bob Doppelt's Comments: This is an insightful study that illustrates that many health professionals in the US are not up to speed on the implications and impacts of climate change. Even fewer mental health professionals understand the risks than physical health providers. The harmful impacts of climate change on psychological and psycho-social-spiritual wellbeing are racing toward us like a runaway freight train: we must educate health professionals so they can engage.
Full study can be found here in Current Environmental Health Reports:
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