Chronic Environmental Change: Emerging ‘Psychoterratic’ Syndromes

Humans are now by far the most powerful change agent on the planet, and their impacts are fundamentally transforming the face of the physical landscape of the earth, altering natural patterns and rhythms, and, now, warming its climate. Under the influence of increasing anthropogenic environmental pressures, I describe earth-related physical and mental health impacts due to environmental and climate change. In what follows, I shall focus on earth-related mental health issues or what I call ‘psychoterratic’ impacts that arise from negatively felt and perceived environmental change. A typology of emergent psychoterratic syndromes and conditions is presented to assist in the understanding of and possible responses to chronic environmental change.