Talk it out: Coping with climate change and biodiversity loss in private-sphere conversations

In times of escalating global environmental crises and subsequent troubling emotional experiences, it is imperative to understand the psychological mechanisms through which people cope. Although it is increasingly recommended to talk about global environmental change and the emotions it evokes as a way of coping with its overwhelming and existential nature, private-sphere conversations about climate change and biodiversity loss have so far received little attention. Based on theories of emotion, coping and empathy, this study explores the character of private-sphere conversations about climate change and biodiversity decline and associations with people’s mental health and pro-environmental action. We base our analyses on questionnaire responses of a random sample of adults in the South of Sweden (N=1299), who either answered questions about climate change or about biodiversity loss. Firstly, we focus on the self-reported content of participants’ conversations and use thematic analysis to understand: What do people talk about when they talk about global environmental change privately? Do those conversations match their thoughts about global environmental change? Secondly, drawing on the qualitative analysis, we explore relations with respondents’ assessments of empathic understanding in those conversations, previous experience of global environmental change, general mental health, and pro-environmental action. Finally, we compare findings for climate change and biodiversity loss. Scientifically, this study defines support factors for having constructive conversations that could aid in coping with global environmental change for the self, others, and the environment. Practically, the study outcomes contribute with knowledge on how social interactions in the private sphere may support well-being and spur action.