Doctorate in Clinical Psychology : Main Research Portfolio

: 1) Swimming in nature: A scoping review of the mental health and wellbeing benefits of open water swimming; 2) An audit of the provision of psychological interventions for service users and families across 2 Crisis Resolution Teams in AWP; 3) Development of a new measure of the psychological and emotional impacts of climate change and environmental damage: The Climate and Environmental Emotional Distress Scale (CEEDS).

Abstract

The current climate crisis represents a very serious threat to human survival, including effects upon multiple ecosystems that are significantly greater than predicted. Our world faces a series of potentially catastrophic changes which will significantly impact the physical and mental health of humans. People are experiencing a diverse and complex set of emotions in response to this. Despite growing reports of eco-distress (also known as eco-anxiety, eco-grief, climate-anxiety, solastalgia), the psychological understanding of this phenomenon is limited. Definitions vary and researchers are only beginning to develop conceptual clarity.11This study aimed to clarify ‘eco-distress’. Eco-distress is a rational, non-pathological response to the climate crisis, yet represents a significant stressor for those who experience it. Thus, researchers need reliable and valid tools to measure eco-distress, to aid our understanding of this phenomenon, investigate how it affects mental health and explore ways of supporting people and communities reporting this challenging experience. This study describes the systematic development of the Climate and Environmental Emotional Distress Scale (CEEDS), including a modified online Delphi study and an Exploratory Factor Analysis. Results and clinical implications are discussed.

Date of Award	10 Oct 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Elizabeth Marks (Supervisor), Pamela Jacobsen (Supervisor) & Nick Stewart (Supervisor)