Eco-Anxiety Now Affects 40% of Adults, But You Can’t Medicate Climate Stress Away
Climate-related distress is growing worldwide—and alternatives to medications arise as a solution to deal with chronic stress and anxiety.
New data from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) shows that over 40% of adults are affected by eco-anxiety—they say climate change is affecting their mental health, and nearly one in five describe the impact as “significant.” In fact, on June 19, a group of 61 climate scientists from 17 countries further concluded that limiting global warming to 1.5°C is no longer achievable, reaching scientific agreement. According to healthcare experts from Flow Neuroscience, a company that develops medical neuromodulation devices, we’re entering a new reality—and this kind of slow-building, real-world stress doesn’t fit existing models of mental health care.
“Scientists have reached a consensus that we’ve reached a point of no return,” says Dr. Hannah Nearney, psychiatrist and UK Medical Director at Flow Neuroscience. “People are already facing relocations due to the environmental disasters, which results in multi-level emotional stress. Sooner or later, the whole world population will be affected.”
However, data shows that the emotional toll of climate anxiety is not evenly distributed. Younger adults aged 18-34 are more likely than those over 65 to report negative mental health effects. Parents also show higher levels of distress than non-parents, especially when it comes to anxiety about the government’s response.
“These numbers indicate that emerging mental health issues related to climate change, such as eco-enxiety, are significant and will come with different kinds of patient needs,” added Dr. Nearney. “First of all, you can’t medicate climate-related concerns away, as these are normal reactions to the environmental threat, but if it manifests as constant background emotional stress and anxiety—that’s when the problem arises.”
Despite this, mental health systems remain structured around short-term interventions, diagnostic thresholds, and acute care.
“These are people who keep showing up, saying they don’t feel right—but they’re not ‘an emergency’ and are often told to wait it out, manage it alone, or are quickly prescribed medication,” says Dr. Kultar Singh Garcha, Global Medical Director at Flow Neuroscience. “This is where the systems fall short.”
According to the APA, more than half of Americans believe climate change is impacting mental health across the country—one in three adults says “they think about it weekly.” This kind of chronic concern requires long-term support strategies, not just short-term solutions, and not only in the US, but also in the UK and the EU. “We need to offer tools that match how younger generations live worldwide—digital, flexible, and backed by modern evidence,” Dr. Garcha adds.
Such therapies are already emerging. For example, walking therapy—a structured combination of physical movement and conversation—has just undergone its first clinical trial, showing particular appeal among male patients. According to Dr. Garcha, AI-driven therapy platforms, teletherapy services, and at-home brain stimulation devices are also gaining ground, offering more accessible and personalized mental health support.
“Indeed, brain stimulation via home-based neuromodulation techniques, can give people a way to care for their mental health the way they care for their physical health,” shares Dr. Nearney. “You can treat it as a 30-minute morning ritual, an evening run or meditation session—something you consistently do to feel more stable.”
In the neuromodulation industry, where brain stimulation arises as a way to cope with mental health issues, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the latest non-invasive technologies gaining attention. In the UK and the EU, tDCS has been approved for use in treating depression and is now being studied for its broader potential in addressing chronic stress and sleep disruption. For example, Flow Neuroscience has developed the first clinically backed tDCS device for depression treatment. Their device is NHS-approved and can be prescribed to patients.
“Global environmental problems such as climate change are relatively new—something that people haven’t experienced in the past. The fact that it’s affecting mental health is not surprising, and we will see more and more people seek help,” adds Dr. Nearney. “They’ll be looking for solutions that don’t start with a prescription, and unfortunately, many healthcare systems are not yet ready for this.”
Eco-anxiety is becoming a global mental health concern and will require sustained support strategies and appropriate tools over time. The need to expand mental health care beyond acute interventions is undeniable.