How Climate Change Is Impacting Our Mental Health
b'In June, a first-of-its-kind lawsuit will go to trial in Montana. The case, Held v. Montana, centers on the climate crisis. Sixteen young plaintiffs allege their state government has failed in its obligation, spelled out in the state constitution, to provide residents with a healthful environment. The psychiatrist Dr. Lise Van Susteren is serving as an expert witness and intends to detail the emotional distress that can result from watching the environmental destruction unfolding year after year. \\u201cKids are talking about their anger. They\\u2019re talking about their fear. They\\u2019re talking about their despair. They\\u2019re talking about feelings of abandonment,\\u201d she tells David Remnick. \\u201cAnd they don\\u2019t understand why the adults in the room are not taking more action.\\u201d Dr. Van Susteren is a co-founder of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance, a network of mental-health providers concerned with educating colleagues and the public about the climate crisis.'