Health experts point to a growing body of evidence that shows climate change is negatively affecting more people's mental health, including Missourians.
Statistics reveal the Show-Me State has experienced 85 federal disaster declarations since 1980, most tied to severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes.
Margaret Klein Salamon, a clinical psychologist with the Climate Emergency Fund, said anxious feelings about extreme weather are real, adding that the challenge is what people do with them.
"We feel fear, anger, grief, guilt. That actually is not the problem," she said. "The problem is, we don't know what to do with them. People are repressing them, and denying them, and saying, 'It must be fine, I’m overreacting.'"
Salamon recommended that people not downplay their feelings through positive self-talk, but instead talk with a therapist, family member, or friend, and stay physically active for improved emotional health.
Missouri averages about 32 tornadoes a year, and in 2024 logged 105 reports, just shy of its record. Experts say repeated exposure to such extremes fuels climate anxiety, which studies show affects nearly half of people ages 16 to 25.
Salamon stressed the need to confront the real "enemies" by talking it out with others.
"'I'm feeling really scared – whatever it is, about this heat wave and about climate change. How are you doing with it?' Isolation and helplessness are really the enemies to confront," she said.
Connecting with others, she said, whether by joining an environmental group, advocating for policy change, or simply checking in with friends, can help manage climate fears while also working toward solutions.
This story was originally published by The Missouri Public News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
