Climate change and mental health: what is the connection?

Climate change is impacting our world in ways that can no longer be ignored. From wildfires in the west coast to flooding in the midwest, the effects of natural disasters cause communities to come part, both literally and theoretically. The systematic impact of such disasters leave fertile ground for psychological distress that is felt for generations to come. But did you know that climate change can impact mental health in a more direct, measurable way? Dr.Robin Cooper, associate clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, and a member of the steering committee of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance, discusses the intimate yet often overlooked connection between psychiatric illnesses and climate change.