Skip to content
1981
Drama Therapy and the Climate Crisis
  • ISSN: 2054-7668
  • E-ISSN: 2054-7676

Abstract

The consequences of climate change have a significant impact on all aspects of planetary and human life, including mental health, necessitating attention across healthcare provision and training. We may assume that drama therapists agree with prevailing scientific opinion on climate change regarding its detrimental effects on human health and well-being but do not have empirical data to support this claim. The purpose of this study was to identify how North American drama therapists perceive climate change. A secondary aim was to compare these findings to a publicly available national (US) data set. We used the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY!) to gain insight into North American drama therapists’ perceptions of climate change. Seventy-eight respondents ( = 78) met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that respondents fell into four of six possible categories with the proportion of drama therapists categorized as Alarmed (67 per cent) being significantly higher than national findings for the same category (² = 12.089, df = 1, < 0.01) and consistent across racial identification and age groups. While the sample was limited, these findings offer useful indicators for developing climate communication strategies to support drama therapy education in training programs and continuing professional development towards supporting drama therapists and those in their care to adapt to the health impacts of climate change. Further research is needed to support these findings.

Resumen

Es probable que la comunidad de dramaterapia se alinee con el consenso científico sobre el cambio climático, pero faltan datos empíricos sobre sus puntos de vista. Este estudio utilizó la para examinar las percepciones de los dramaterapeutas norteamericanos. Entre 78 encuestados, el 67% fueron clasificados como ‘alarmados’, un número significativamente más alto que los hallazgos nacionales. Aunque la muestra fue limitada, estos resultados ofrecen indicadores útiles para desarrollar estrategias de comunicación sobre el clima que apoyen la educación en dramaterapia.

Résumé

La communauté des dramathérapeutes est susceptible de s’aligner sur le consensus scientifique concernant le changement climatique, mais les données empiriques sur leurs points de vue sont manquantes. Cette étude a utilisé le Six Americas Super Short Survey pour examiner les perceptions des dramathérapeutes nord-américains. Parmi les 78 personnes interrogées, 67% se sont déclarées alarmées, un chiffre nettement supérieur aux résultats nationaux. Bien que l’échantillon soit limité, ces résultats offrent des indicateurs utiles pour développer des stratégies de communication sur le climat afin de soutenir l’enseignement de la dramathérapie.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • The Theatre and Health Lab
© 2025 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00162_1
2025-05-07
2026-04-22

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2020), ‘New APA poll reveals that Americans are increasingly anxious about climate change’s impact on planet, mental health’, American Psychiatric Association, 21 October, https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/climate-poll-2020. Accessed 10 July 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Anon. (2024a), ‘Lancet Countdown: Tracking progress on health and climate change’, Lancet Countdown, https://www.lancetcountdown.org/. Accessed 29 July 2024.
  3. Anon. (2024b), ‘What happens when climate change and the mental-health crisis collide?’, Nature, 628, p. 235, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00993-x.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Ballew, Matthew, Verner, Marija, Carman, Jennifer, Rosenthal, Seth, Maibach, Edward, Kotcher, John and Leiserowitz, Anthony (2023), Global Warming’s Six Americas across Age, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Berg, Nathan (2005), ‘Non-response bias’, in K. Kempf-Leonard (ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Measurement, vol. 2, London: Academic Press, pp. 865–73.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Blair, Nancy, Lehmann, Trevor and Nichols, Graham (2023), Climate-Informed Counselling in the 21st Century: A Living Document, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Climate-Informed-Counselling-in-the-21st-Century-A-Living-Document-EN-002.pdf. Accessed 10 July 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Bloodhart, Brittany, Maibach, Edward, Myers, Teresa and Zhao, Xiaoquan (2015), ‘Local climate experts: The influence of local TV weather information on climate change perceptions’, PLOS One, 10:11, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141526.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Butler, Jason D. (2017), ‘The complex intersection of education and therapy in the drama therapy classroom’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 53, pp. 28–35, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.010.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Chryst, Breanne, Marlon, Jennifer, van der Linden, Sander, Leiserowitz, Anthony, Maibach, Edward and Roser-Renouf, Connie (2018), ‘Global warming’s “Six Americas Short Survey”: Audience segmentation of climate change views using a four question instrument’, Environmental Communication, 12:8, pp. 1109–22, https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2018.1508047.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Chryst, Breanne, Marlon, Jennifer, Wang, Xinran, van der Linden, Sander, Maibach, Edward, Roser-Renouf, Connie and Leiserowitz, Anthony (n.d.), ‘Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY!): SASSY group scoring tool’, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/sassy/. Accessed 26 July 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Clayton, Susan, Manning, Christie, Speiser, Meighen and Hill, Alison Nicole (2021), Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Inequities, Responses, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/mental-health-climate-change.pdf. Accessed 15 July 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Dokter, Ditty and Sajnani, Nisha (2023), Intercultural Dramatherapy: Imagination and Action at the Intersections of Difference, London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Ebi, Kristie L., Balbus, John M., Luber, George, Bole, Aparna, Crimmins, Allison, Glass, Gregory, Saha, Shubhayu, Shimamoto, Mark M., Trtanj, Juli and White-Newsome, Jalonne L. (2018), ‘Human health’, in D. R. Reidmiller, C. W. Avery, D. R. Easterling, K. E. Kunkel, K. L. M. Lewis, T. K. May-cock and B. C. Stewart (eds), Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, vol. II, Washington, DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program, pp. 572–603.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Goldberg, Matthew, Wang, Xinran, Marlon, Jennifer, Carman, Jennifer, Lacroix, Karine, Kotcher, John, Rosenthal, Seth, Maibach, Edward and Leiserowitz, Anthony (2021), Segmenting the Climate Change Alarmed: Active, Willing, and Inactive, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Grainger, R. (1996), ‘The therapeusis of the audience’, Dramatherapy, 18:1, pp. 27–31, https://doi.org/10.1080/02630672.1996.9689409.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Hwong, Alison R., Wang, Margaret, Khan, Hammad, Chagwedera, D Nyasha, Grzenda, Adrienne, Doty, Benjamin, Benton, Tami, Alpert, Jonathan, Clarke, Diana and Compton, Wilson M. (2022), ‘Climate change and mental health research methods, gaps, and priorities: A scoping review’, The Lancet Planetary Health, 6:3, pp. e281–91, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00012-2.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2021), ‘Climate change in data: Climate change 2021: The physical science basis’, IPCC Data, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/resources/climate-change-in-data/. Accessed 15 July 2024.
  18. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2023), ‘Summary for policymakers’, in H. Lee and J. Romero (eds), Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva: IPCC, pp. 1–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Kennedy, Caitlyn and Lindsey, Rebecca (2015), ‘What’s the difference between global warming and climate change?’, Climate.gov, 17 June, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change. Accessed 23 July 2024.
  20. Leiserowitz, Anthony, Feinberg, Geoff, Rosenthal, Seth, Smith, Nicholas, Anderson Ashley, Roser-Renouf, Connie and Maibach, Edward (2014), What’s in a Name? Global Warming vs. Climate Change, New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Leiserowitz, Anthony, Maibach, Edward, Roser-Renouf, Connie, Feinberg, Geoff and Rosenthal, Seth (2015), Global Warming’s Six Americas, March 2015, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Leiserowitz, Anthony, Maibach, Edward, Rosenthal, Seth, Kotcher, John, Goddard, Emily, Carman, Jennifer, Verner, Marija, Ballew, Matthew, Marlon, Jennifer, Lee, Sanguk, Myers, Teresa, Goldberg, Matthew, Badullovich, Nicholas and Thier, Kathryn (2023), Global Warming’s Six Americas, Fall 2023, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Maibach, Edward, Leiserowitz, Anthony, Roser-Renouf, Connie and Mertz, C. K. (2011), ‘Identifying like-minded audiences for global warming public engagement campaigns: An audience segmentation analysis and tool development’, PLOS One, 6:3, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017571.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Meshes, Elizabeth, Kamau, Lincoln Z., Summers, Michael and Hoppin, Kimberly Benjamin (2022), ‘Climate change and six Americas: What can behavior analysts do?’, Behavior and Social Issues, 31:1, pp. 497–521, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-022-00107-0.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Moula, Zoe, Palmer, Karen and Walshe, Nicola (2022), ‘A systematic review of arts-based interventions delivered to children and young people in nature or outdoor spaces: Impact on nature connectedness, health and wellbeing’, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.858781.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. North American Drama Therapy Association Official Website (2019), ‘Public relations materials’, https://www.nadta.org/-dts-against-white-supremacy. Accessed 17 January 2025.
  27. North American Drama Therapy Association Official Website (n.d.), ‘#DTS against white supremacy’, https://www.nadta.org/-dts-against-white-supremacy. Accessed 17 January 2025.
  28. Nutritics (2024), ‘How foodprint can make climate action easy for your food business’, Nutritics, 2 May, https://www.nutritics.com/en/blog/how-foodprint-can-make-climate-action-easy-for-your-food-business/. Accessed 30 July 2024.
  29. O’Mahoney, Desmond, Quinlan, Conor, Rochford, Mary Frances, Cotter, Eimar, Rosenthal, Seth, Carman, Jennifer, Goldberg, Matthew and Leiserowitz, Anthony (2024), Climate Change’s Four Irelands: An Audience Segmentation Analysis (Wave 2), New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Roser-Renouf, Connie, Maibach, Edward, Leiserowitz, Anthony, Feinberg, Geoff, Rosenthal, Seth and Kreslake, Jennifer (2014), Global Warming’s Six Americas in October 2014: Perceptions of the Health Consequences of Global Warming and Update on Key Beliefs, New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Roser-Renouf, Connie, Stenhouse, Neil, Rolfe-Redding, Justin, Maibach, Edward and Leiserowitz, Anthony (2015), ‘Engaging diverse audiences with climate change: Message strategies for Global Warming’s Six Americas’, in A. Hansen and R. Cox (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Environment and Communication, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 368–86.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Sajnani, Nisha (2012), ‘The implicated witness: Towards a relational aesthetic in dramatherapy’, Dramatherapy, 34:1, pp. 6–21, https://doi.org/10.1080/02630672.2012.657944.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Sajnani, Nisha, Mayor, Christine and Boal, Julian (2020), ‘Theatre of the oppressed’, in D. R. Johnson and R. Emunah (eds), Current Approaches in Drama Therapy, 3rd ed., Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas Publisher, Ltd, pp. 561–85.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Seabrook, Deborah (2020), ‘Music therapy in the era of climate crisis: Evolving to meet current needs’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 68, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2020.101646.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Seaman, Elizabeth B. (2016), ‘Climate change on the therapist’s couch: How mental health clinicians receive and respond to indirect psychological impacts of climate change in the therapeutic setting’, MA thesis, Northampton, MA: Smith College School for Social Work.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2024), ‘Understanding the connections between climate change and human health’, EPA.gov, https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/understanding-connections-between-climate-change-and-human-health. Accessed 16 July 2024.
  37. Verner, Marija, Marlon, Jennifer, Carman, Jennifer, Rosenthal, Seth, Ballew, Matthew, Leiserowitz, Anthony, Buttermore, Nicole and Mulcahy, Kelsey (2023), Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison in Nearly 200 Countries and Territories Worldwide, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Williams, Britton (2023), ‘An arts-based autoethnographic exploration of a Black woman witnessing Slave Play: The audience’s the thing’, Drama Therapy Review, 9:1, pp. 155–75, https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr_00124_1.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Taylor, Melissa, Lamm, Alexa J., Israel, Glenn D. and Rampold, Shelli D. (2018), ‘Using the six Americas framework to communicate and educate about global warming’, Journal of Agricultural Education, 59:2, pp. 215–32, https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.02215.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00162_1
Loading
North American drama therapists’ perceptions of climate change
Drama Therapy Review 11, 77 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr_00162_1
/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00162_1
/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00162_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): audience segmentation; cambio climático; changement climatique; climate change; climate communication; climate perceptions; communication climatique; comunicación sobre el clima; desarrollo profesional; drama therapy education; développement professionnel; educación en dramaterapia; enseignement de la dramathérapie; health; pedagogy; pedagogía; percepciones del clima; perceptions climatiques; professional development; pédagogie; salud; santé; segmentación de audiencias; segmentation du public

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test