Section: Module 2: Climate Change and Human Health | Climate Change and Public Health | NextGenU.org

  • Headline Competence (Learning Outcome): After completing this Module, you should be able to:

    Understand the magnitude of the potential health problems for your local, national, and global populations from climate change, and be able to advise on the implementation of improved data collection and accuracy (numerator and denominator), as well as explore and analyze the potential Public Health benefits of addressing climate change.

    Look at this short video from the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change. It is an excellent introduction to the topic.

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      Resources Lesson 1: Effects of Climate Change on Physical and Mental Human Health Page
      Students must
      View
    • page icon
      Resources Lesson 2: Public Health Benefits of Acting on Climate Change Page
      Students must
      View
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      Climate Crisis and Mental Health: What to expect, and what we can do URL
      Students must
      View

      Watch the entire video.

      The video presents a discussion focusing on the anticipated impact of the changing climate on the mental health of our communities, and how the distribution of this impact is inequitable. This discussion provides direct tools for patient care and considers broader institutional responses to the climate crisis. (60 minutes)

    • forum icon
      Discussion Forum (220 minutes)
      Students must
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      Start discussions: 1

      In this activity, you will analyze the potential public health benefits of addressing climate change.

      Step 1. Analyze [20 minutes]

      Read and analyze this news article: 

      Distress, depression, and drug use: young people fear for their future after the bushfires.

      Step 2. Respond [180 minutes]

      Based on the article and on your own setting, prepare a 300-600 word piece of writing that discusses the following:

      • The link between climate change, alcohol, drug abuse and anxiety
      • The growing impact of climate change anxiety
      • Management strategies and practices to mitigate the effects of climate disaster on addiction rates
      • Potential public health benefits of addressing the problem in climate change-induced addiction

      Step 3. Share [10 minutes]

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 4: Interact [10 minutes]

      To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. Your response should respond to each of the three framework elements indicated in the table. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “post to forum.”

      OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”