Geographical differences in the stress and distress of climate change journalists: An observational study

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate potential inter-continental mental health differences in journalists covering climate-related events. Design Descriptive, cross sectional. Setting Internet-based study. Participants Journalists recruited from the Oxford Climate Journalist Network: 268 of 561 (48.6%) journalists from 89 countries completed the study. Main Outcome Measures Questions related to physical threat and loss secondary to climate change. Symptoms of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item scale [GAD-7]), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]), posttraumatic stress disorder (PCL-5) and Moral Injury (Toronto Moral Injury Scale for Journalists [TMIS-J]). Results More African and Asian journalists felt physically threatened than journalists in Europe ( p < .001 and p = .002, respectively). More journalists in Africa had lost a family member to climate change than journalists in the Americas ( p = .009), and Asia and Europe ( p < .001 for both). More journalists in Africa, Asia, and the Americas had lost a friend to climate change compared to journalists in Europe ( p < .001, p = .003, and p = .001, respectively). There were higher PTSD-intrusion scores in African and Asian than European journalists ( p = .001 and p < .001, respectively) and higher PTSD-avoidance scores in African and Asian than European journalists ( p = .014 and p = .001, respectively. African and Asian journalists were less likely to receive psychotherapy than European journalists ( p < .001 for both). Conclusions Given the enduring challenges posed by climate change, addressing these inequalities in journalists’ care should not be delayed any further.