Poor mental health is a global issue affecting people of all ages. It must be tackled immediately. Mental health challenges are often framed as resulting from individual experiences, however, environmental devastation due to human actions dramatically affects mental health. Having experienced my own battles with mental health, this topic is very dear to me. I want to bring awareness to the fact that environmental degradation can cause mental health struggles.
My resource guide dedicates 22 pages to this issue. It provides information about how the environmental crisis affects mental health; for example, particulate matter from fossil fuel-powered vehicles and power plants can induce stress causing neuroinflammation in our brains. The neuroinflammation then leads to our anxiety and depression. I also provide multiple resources to combat these effects and improve mental health through our surroundings. Green spaces, such as parks, are a great way to help decrease depression, as stated by the Earth Observatory in the resource guide.
This project is dedicated to all the people who suffer from mental illness and are struggling to find ways to cope. An increase in mental illnesses has been noted during the pandemic, and the resource guide is a great way to educate ourselves on what we can do to make a difference in our lives and communities.