Pigeon Point, Saint Lucia. Researchers say issues like rising ocean temperatures, coastal erosion and extreme weather are not just affecting the environment – they are creating a mental health epidemic. Credit: Alison Kentish/IPS by Alison Kentish (saint lucia) Inter Press Service With sombre news at every climate report and an era defined by increasing eco-anxiety, Lawrence is leading research into a pressing yet under-explored area: the intersection of climate change and mental health. As the Mental Health Lead at the Institute of Global Health Innovation , Imperial College London, Lawrence’s unique career path—from physics and neuroscience to mental health advocacy—is putting a spotlight on the deeply intertwined nature of human well-being and the planet’s health. “I’ve always had a deep connection to nature,” Lawrence told IPS, reminiscing about her upbringing in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. “Growing up with trees, koalas, and birds, it was always clear to me that we’re not separate from nature. Our health and well-being are intimately connected to the well-being of the planet.” Lawrence also worked in science communication and was part of a science circus, traveling around Australia, performing in schools, and embracing the opportunity to visit remote, indigenous communities. Her early love of the natural world drove her academic interests in physics and chemistry, where she understood the dangers of burning fossil fuels and their catastrophic effects on the climate. But her journey didn’t stop at environmental science; it wound through the complexities of mental health, a field shaped both by personal experience and her academic research. Dr. Emma Lawrance, Mental Health Lead at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London. Credit: LinkedIn In her teenage years, she faced mental illness firsthand, a period that profoundly shaped her worldview and motivated her to co-found It Gets Brighter , a […]
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