Robin Cooper: Co-founder, Climate Psychiatry Alliance
"When speaking of the health impacts of climate change, I didn’t want the mental health effects to be an add-on comment by our other medical colleagues ” says Missoulian Dr. Robin Cooper when asked about why she co-founded the Climate Psychiatry Alliance. “Personally, I feel very strongly about climate change and found like-minded psychiatrists. We needed more depth to the details about mental health effects. When I heard speakers talk about mental health and climate change, I thought ‘why aren’t we saying that?’”
“We also wanted to mobilize our professional organization, American Psychiatry Alliance (APA), to exhibit more concern about climate change. At that time back in 2015, the APA leadership response was ‘oh, that is important but that is for public health, not for us.’ There has been a 180 degree turnaround though. Climate change focused webinars and panels are included in all professional meetings. Psychiatrists are now more knowledgeable and APA now has a permanent committee on climate change and human health. A divestment plan has been passed through the APA.”
“There has been an explosion of literature from the psychologists and psychiatrists. It isn’t just about how you feel about the world – eco-anxiety, if you will; it is far more extensive. The heat impacts are enormous. The vulnerability of those with mental illness is enormous. Then there is the air pollution effects on the brain. And, the implications of disaster and community well-being. Mental health impacts and psychological impacts aren’t just ‘I am anxious.’”
The CPA has strong collaborative relationships with many groups addressing climate and mental health. In particular, CPA has a number of shared projects with the Climate Psychology Alliance- North America (CPA-NA). One is a joint Climate Aware Therapists’ directory and project to identify therapists who pay attention to climate change issues . Trainings for therapists are offered providing principles for clinicians to attend to these issues with clients/patients. Another important project shared with the CPA-NA and the Climate Psychology Alliance -United Kingdom/ International is the development of a free, easily accessible compendium about mental health effects written in language for the general public. (Robin is still seeking interested writers for entries.)
CPA is committed to public and professional education and has participated in training sessions and curriculum development on mental health and climate change with a number of groups including academic institutions and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE).
Robin’s daughter has lived and worked as a nurse in Missoula for a decade. With recent purchase of property near their daughter, she and her husband, Bob Harrison (a professor of occupational and environmental health at University of California San Francisco) have joined Montana Health Professions for a Healthy Climate. Bob did one of the earliest studies of health impacts for wildland firefighters basing his research out of LoLo wildland firefighers’ base in early 1990’s and Robin has developed an interest on the mental health toll of wildland firefighters and written and presented on this topic.
Robin began her activism on climate with Citizens Climate Lobby and does her best to balance work within her profession and engagement with CCL Health Action Team. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking (learning the trails outside of Missoula) , Americana music and collecting nature objects to fill a growing treasure box for her grandchildren ages 4 and 2, to share the charms and joys of nature.
To contact her: [email protected]
Climate Psychiatry Alliance: : www.climatepsychiatry.org
"When speaking of the health impacts of climate change, I didn’t want the mental health effects to be an add-on comment by our other medical colleagues ” says Missoulian Dr. Robin Cooper when asked about why she co-founded the Climate Psychiatry Alliance. “Personally, I feel very strongly about climate change and found like-minded psychiatrists. We needed more depth to the details about mental health effects. When I heard speakers talk about mental health and climate change, I thought ‘why aren’t we saying that?’”
“We also wanted to mobilize our professional organization, American Psychiatry Alliance (APA), to exhibit more concern about climate change. At that time back in 2015, the APA leadership response was ‘oh, that is important but that is for public health, not for us.’ There has been a 180 degree turnaround though. Climate change focused webinars and panels are included in all professional meetings. Psychiatrists are now more knowledgeable and APA now has a permanent committee on climate change and human health. A divestment plan has been passed through the APA.”
“There has been an explosion of literature from the psychologists and psychiatrists. It isn’t just about how you feel about the world – eco-anxiety, if you will; it is far more extensive. The heat impacts are enormous. The vulnerability of those with mental illness is enormous. Then there is the air pollution effects on the brain. And, the implications of disaster and community well-being. Mental health impacts and psychological impacts aren’t just ‘I am anxious.’”
The CPA has strong collaborative relationships with many groups addressing climate and mental health. In particular, CPA has a number of shared projects with the Climate Psychology Alliance- North America (CPA-NA). One is a joint Climate Aware Therapists’ directory and project to identify therapists who pay attention to climate change issues . Trainings for therapists are offered providing principles for clinicians to attend to these issues with clients/patients. Another important project shared with the CPA-NA and the Climate Psychology Alliance -United Kingdom/ International is the development of a free, easily accessible compendium about mental health effects written in language for the general public. (Robin is still seeking interested writers for entries.)
CPA is committed to public and professional education and has participated in training sessions and curriculum development on mental health and climate change with a number of groups including academic institutions and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE).
Robin’s daughter has lived and worked as a nurse in Missoula for a decade. With recent purchase of property near their daughter, she and her husband, Bob Harrison (a professor of occupational and environmental health at University of California San Francisco) have joined Montana Health Professions for a Healthy Climate. Bob did one of the earliest studies of health impacts for wildland firefighters basing his research out of LoLo wildland firefighers’ base in early 1990’s and Robin has developed an interest on the mental health toll of wildland firefighters and written and presented on this topic.
Robin began her activism on climate with Citizens Climate Lobby and does her best to balance work within her profession and engagement with CCL Health Action Team. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking (learning the trails outside of Missoula) , Americana music and collecting nature objects to fill a growing treasure box for her grandchildren ages 4 and 2, to share the charms and joys of nature.
To contact her: [email protected]
Climate Psychiatry Alliance: : www.climatepsychiatry.org