Eco-anxiety: The clinical treatment of pre-traumatic stress

Largely caused by the harmful effects of human activity, environmental problems have a real impact on our everyday psyche. Worry and anxiety are normal responses to the recognition and anticipation of events that threaten the survival of humanity, and can lead some people to suffer from severe anxiety and depression. Eco-anxiety (akin to solastagia), when it takes the form of pre-traumatic stress, can become a pathology (if not identified and properly managed) and constitute a real public health problem. In clinical terms, this new form of anxiety does not differ in its symptomatology from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but is marked out by specific representations and cognitive patterns. We insist on the need for early treatment of eco-anxious people, particularly through cognitive-behavioral therapies, analytical psychotherapy, and integrative care.

Eco-anxiety is an emerging disorder, and as a result epidemiological data and clinical studies are few and far between. Our qualitative survey, albeit on a small scale, is complemented by two clinical vignettes. This article is divided into three parts: perception, clinical approach, and psychotherapy.