VIDEO – STAY COOL MAN, REAL COOL –
Oct. 16, 2024 – As growing evidence shows that climate change will influence nearly every aspect of our health. Elizabeth Bowen, PhD describes how climate change threatens both physical and mental health — an effect that may be particularly severe for individuals in recovery who have chronic health conditions or mental health challenges. According to Bowen, about 38% of people in the U.S. with a substance use disorder also have a mental health diagnosis.
Recovery capital takes a holistic view on recovery, encompassing all the resources in a person’s life that could support or hinder their journey to wellness. The theory was developed more than 20 years ago by Robert Granfield, PhD, professor of sociology and vice provost for faculty affairs at UB, and William Cloud, PhD, a retired professor in the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.
In her paper, Bowen cites more than 75 health, recovery and environmental studies to identify links between climate change and the four domains of recovery capital: social (the people in one’s life), physical (their job, housing and other resources), human (individual attributes like health, education and attitudes), and cultural (traditions and community-level supports).
