Research Seminar - Coping with eco-anxiety: A guided journal trial
Coping with eco-anxiety: A guided journal trial
Presented by: Dr Ans Vercammen and Dr Skye Doherty
Date: Friday 22 September 2023
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Online via Zoom and in-person at the SCA Writer's Studio (Level 6, Michie Building)
Abstract
Eco-anxiety describes the existential dread associated with the observation or direct experience of irrevocable environmental damage due to climate change. A recent survey of >10,000 young people found that 45% said it affected their daily functioning, and 75% noted that the future is frightening. Eco-anxiety can affect overall mental health and wellbeing if the individual does not have sufficient support or coping skills to make sense of this experience. In this talk, we will describe how a guided journaling intervention might help young people process their climate-related feelings and potentially turn anxiety into action. We used an existing journal co-designed by young people in the UK as a basis to explore local experiences and novel design ideas for addressing eco-anxiety among Australian youth. We will discuss the preliminary findings and highlight emerging recommendations for a support tool that meets the needs of the local communities.
Presenters
Ans Vercammen is a research psychologist and conservation social scientist. Her work is interdisciplinary and focuses on the human dimensions of environmental change. Most recently she has been studying psychological responses to climate change, and the nexus between climate change and mental health.
Skye Doherty is a design researcher in the School of Communication and Arts. She uses creative methods to explore alternative futures and address wicked problems. She has worked on projects in journalism, law, education, and energy, among others and her work has led to both conceptual and practical outcomes.
About Research Seminar and Workshop Series
School of Communication and Arts Research Seminar Series
The research seminar and workshop series occur each semester, each with a different topic and guest speaker from UQ or otherwise.
Friday, 4 August Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | After the Future: Heat, Collapse, and Exhausting the “Future of Work” | Dr Luke Munn |
Friday, 25 August Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | Promoting children’s environmental responsibility in the EFL classroom | Dr Valentina Adami |
Friday, 1 September Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | Portraying Asian-diasporic identity beyond the limits of the literary label Asian-Australian | Catriona Arthy and Olivia De Zilva |
Friday, 8 September Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | Exploring Digital Humanities through the Lens of Journalism: A Case Study of Reader Comment Analysis | Dr Lujain Shafeeq |
Friday, 15 September Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | Carly-Jay Metcalfe and Bianca Millroy | |
Friday, 22 September Hybrid: Online via Zoom and in person at the | Coping with eco-anxiety: A guided journal trial | Dr Ans Vercammen and Dr Skye Doherty |