Note: This article was originally published in 2023, but HSC News has decided to highlight it this week in order to support those feeling the emotional toll of the ongoing wildfire crisis in Southern California. 

The past two weeks have proven to be a powerful reminder that climate change and the natural disasters resulting from it are wreaking havoc on mental health and well-being. The problem has become so serious, that a term has emerged — “eco-grief” — to describe the overwhelming fear, despair and despondency that come with bearing witness to natural disasters such as the ongoing wildfires throughout Southern California and their devastating effects.

Experts from the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and other schools throughout the university are taking action to counter this cultural phenomenon by finding ways for people to cope, heal and turn eco-grief into climate action.

To read the full story, click here.