Browsing by Author "Chukwuorji, JohnBosco Chika"

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Negative emotions about climate change are related to insomnia symptoms and mental health: cross-sectional evidence from 25 countries
(Current Psychology : Springer, 2021-02-16) Ogunbode, Charles Adedayo; Pallesen, Ståle; Böhm, Gisela; Doran, Rouven; Bhullar, Navjot; Aquino, Sibele; Marot, Tiago; Schermer, Julie Aitken; Wlodarczyk, Anna; Lu, Su; Jiang, Feng; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Hanss, Daniel; Maran, Daniela Acquadro; Ardi, Rahkman; Chegeni, Razieh; Tahir, Hajra; Ghanbarian, Elahe; Park, Joonha; Tsubakita, Takashi; Tan, Chee-Seng; Broek, Karlijn L. van den; Chukwuorji, JohnBosco Chika; Ojewumi, Kehinde; Reyes, Marc Eric S.; Lins, Samuel; Enea, Violeta; Volkodav, Tatiana; Sollar, Omas; Navarro-Carrillo, Ginés; Torres-Marín, Jorge; Mbungu, Winfred; Onyutha, Charles; Lomas, Michael J.
Climate change threatens mental health via increasing exposure to the social and economic disruptions created by extreme weather and large-scale climatic events, as well as through the anxiety associated with recognising the existential threat posed by the climate crisis. Considering the growing levels of climate change awareness across the world, negative emotions like anxiety and worry about climate-related risks are a potentially pervasive conduit for the adverse impacts of climate change on mental health. In this study, we examined how negative climate-related emotions relate to sleep and mental health among a diverse non-representative sample of individuals recruited from 25 countries, as well as a Norwegian nationally-representative sample. Overall, we found that negative climate-related emotions are positively associated with insomnia symptoms and negatively related to self-rated mental health in most countries. Our findings suggest that climate-related psychological stressors are significantly linked with mental health in many countries and draw attention to the need for cross-disciplinary research aimed at achieving rigorous empirical assessments of the unique challenge posed to mental health by negative emotional responses to climate change.
Psychologists’ contributions to pro-environment behaviour change in some selected countries in Africa.
(ResearchGate, 2022-11) Ezenwa, Michael Onyeka; Kagaari, James Rubazonzya; Agyemang, Collins Badu; Chukwuorji, JohnBosco Chika
Understanding the role of psychological science in shaping human behaviour towards promoting and maintaining a healthy environment is critical to a safe, sustainable, and balanced ecosystem in Africa. In addition to addressing the negative impact of climate change on physical and mental health, psychologists can help build resilience to mitigate the effects of climate change. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, the Nigerian Psychological Association has pursued environmental advocacy including focusing its 2021 national conference on ‘’global climate change, ecosystem and behaviour: issues and action plans.” In addition, a number of psychology departments in Nigeria have hosted pro-environment programmes. Similarly, the Ghana Psychological Association has collaborated with corporate and religious bodies to educate the public on climate change initiatives and has called for an annual week-long celebration to promote climate change initiatives. And additionally, in East Africa, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uganda Council of Psychologists began working hand-in-hand with local universities to create climate change awareness campaigns, planning to organise field trips and conduct survey studies in the most impacted regions of the country. Ultimately, this calls for behavioural and societal change to avert future disasters. As scientist-practitioners, we need to adopt a multi-sectoral approach and tailored research to address climate change concerns in Africa.