Climate Anxiety, Maturational Loss, and Adversarial Growth

Figures & data

Table 1. Subjects of climate-related loss and grief (Tschakert et al. 2019).

Culture, Lifestyle, Traditions, and Heritage
Physical health
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Human Mobility
Indirect Economic Benefits and Opportunities
Sense of Place
Social Fabric
Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Species
Productive Land and Habitat
Knowledge and Ways of Knowing
Human Life[span]
Identity
Self-determination and Influence
Order in the World
Dignity
Territory
Ability to Solve Problems Collectively
Sovereignty

Table 2. Cardinal features of nonfinite loss according to (Harris 2020a; Schultz and Harris 2011).

“There is an ongoing uncertainty regarding what will happen next. Anxiety is often the primary undercurrent to the experience.”

“There is often a sense of disconnection from the mainstream and what is generally viewed as ‘normal’ in human experience.”

“The magnitude of the loss is frequently unrecognized or not acknowledged by others.”

“There is an ongoing sense of helplessness and powerlessness associated with the loss.”

“Nonfinite losses may be accompanied by shame, embarrassment, and self-doubting that further complicate existing relationships, thereby adding to the struggle with coping.”

“There are typically no rituals that assist to validate or legitimize the loss, especially if the loss was symbolic or intangible.”

“chronic despair and ongoing dread”

Tschakert, P., R. E. Neville, C. Anderson, A. Kelly, and J. Obeng. 2019. One thousand ways to experience loss: A systematic analysis of climate-related intangible harm from around the world. Global Environmental Change 55:58–72. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.11.006.

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Harris, D. L. ed. 2020a. Non-death loss and grief: Context and clinical implications. New York: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Non-Death-Loss-and-Grief-Context-and-Clinical-Implications/Harris/p/book/9781138320826//.

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Schultz, C. L., and D. L. Harris. 2011. Giving voice to nonfinite loss and grief in bereavement. In Grief and bereavement in contemporary society: Bridging research and practice, Series in Death, Dying, and Bereavement, ed. R. A. Neimeyer, D. L. Harris, H. R. Winokuer, and G. Thornton, 235–45. New York: Routledge.

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