‘Pre-traumatic stress disorder’: UN IPCC scientist becomes ‘professionally depressed’ due to doomsday climate research – ‘Climate depression is for real’ – ‘Climate trauma survival tips’
'Two years ago, Camille Parmesan, a professor at Plymouth University and the University of Texas at Austin, became so “professionally depressed” that she questioned abandoning her research in climate change entirely. Parmesan has a pretty serious stake in the field. In 2007, she shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore for her work as a lead author of the Third Assessment Report of the IPCC.'
Despite the accolades, she was fed up... “I was really thinking, ‘Why am I doing this?’” She ultimately packed up her life here in the States and moved to her husband’s native United Kingdom.
Climate scientists not only wade knee-deep through doomsday research day in and day out, but given the importance of their work, many also find themselves thrust into a maelstrom of political, ideological, and social debate with increasing frequency.
So how does a climate scientist handle the stress? Van Susteren offers several “climate trauma survival tips” for those in the field.
