Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, shared new resources on Friday to help Wisconsinites handle the effects of the climate crisis on their mental health and well-being.
The new DHS climate and mental health webpage provides resources for specific groups that are most affected by climate change, including tribal communities, agricultural workers, young people, health care providers, mental health professionals, parents and caregivers, educators and more.
Related pages offer tips to help families prepare for major weather events and how to deal with the aftermath.
“The climate crisis is here, and it is affecting Wisconsinites’ way of life,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “From business owners and farmers facing economic challenges caused by a changing climate to our kids who are feeling worried about the future of our planet to homeowners and communities recovering from flooding and severe storms, these impacts weigh heavily on all of us.”
Climate change has been linked to floods, severe storms, heat waves, droughts, wildfire smoke and infectious disease outbreaks.
“Severe weather events not only impact our physical health, but they can also have long-term mental health effects,” Paula Tran, state health officer and Division of Public Health administrator, said in a statement. “Survivors of disasters are often forced from their homes, lose their livelihoods and possessions and need to grieve those losses along with lost community connections.”
