Climate Change Messaging and Mental Health

Climate change is an existential threat, and it is often difficult to translate the urgency and immediacy of climate catastrophes into common parlance. One way to effectively engage the public in climate change conversations is through effective communication practices, such as persuasive communication. Persuasive communication uses tailored messages to elicit desirable behavioural outcomes in the audience and has great potential to promote positive attitudinal and behavioural changes in the target audience. However, while persuasive communication has potential, recurring evidence suggests that using fear appeals in climate change communication can create unintentional mental health challenges for the audience. In light of the scale and scope of climate crises, positive, personal, and people-centred persuasive communications may be more suitable for long-term and sustainable deployment. However, there is a shortage of research in the literature. Bridging this research gap, this paper aims to explore how fear-based climate communications impact public mental health and how alternative positive messaging frameworks can serve as sustainable interventions. This study seeks to enhance public mental health and cultivate a sense of engagement and responsibility among individuals, thereby facilitating collective action and influencing policymakers to implement more constructive climate-response strategies. Ultimately, we aspire to offer inclusive and sustainable solutions that empower the public to actively participate in protecting our shared environment while mitigating climate change.