Supporting conservationists' mental health through better working conditions.

Biodiversity conservation work can be challenging but rewarding, and both aspects have potential consequences for conservationists' mental health. Yet, little is known about patterns of mental health among conservationists and its associated workplace protective and risk factors. A better understanding might help improve working conditions, supporting conservationists' job satisfaction, productivity, and engagement, while reducing costs from staff turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism. We surveyed 2311 conservation professionals working in 122 countries through an internet survey shared via mailing lists, social media, and other channels. We asked them about experiences of psychological distress, working conditions, and personal characteristics. Over half were from and worked in Europe and North America, and most had a university-level education, were in desk-based academic and practitioner roles, and responded in English. Heavy workload, job demands, and organizational instability were linked to higher distress, but job stability and satisfaction with one's contributions to conservation were associated with lower distress. Respondents with low dispositional and conservation-specific optimism, poor physical health, and limited social support, women, and early-career professionals were most at risk of distress in our sample. Our results flag important risk factors that employers could consider, although further research is needed among groups underrepresented in our sample. Drawing on evidence-based occupational health interventions, we suggest measures that could promote better working conditions and thus may improve conservationists' mental health and abilities to protect nature.

Mejores condiciones de trabajo para apoyar la salud mental de los conservacionistas Resumen La conservación de la biodiversidad puede ser difícil pero gratificante y ambos aspectos pueden tener consecuencias en la salud mental de los conservacionistas. Sin embargo, sabemos poco sobre la salud mental de los conservacionistas, sus patrones y los factores de protección y riesgo asociados al lugar de trabajo. Un mayor conocimiento ayudaría a mejorar las condiciones de trabajo, pues impulsaría la satisfacción laboral, la productividad y el compromiso de los conservacionistas, mientras se reducen los costos derivados de la rotación de personal, el ausentismo y el presentismo. Encuestamos a 2,311 profesionales de la conservación de 122 países con una encuesta virtual compartida por listas de correo, redes sociales y otros medios. Les preguntamos a los profesionales sobre sus experiencias de estrés psicológico, condiciones de trabajo y características personales. Más de la mitad trabajaban y procedían de Europa y Norteamérica; la mayoría respondió en inglés, contaba con estudios universitarios y actualmente desempeña funciones académicas y profesionales. La carga de trabajo excesiva, las exigencias laborales y la inestabilidad organizacional se relacionaron con un mayor estrés, mientras la estabilidad laboral y la satisfacción con la contribución propia a la conservación se asociaron con un menor estrés. En nuestra muestra, los encuestados con baja disposición y un optimismo específico hacia la conservación, mala salud física, apoyo social limitado, las mujeres y los profesionales que inician su carrera son los que corren un mayor riesgo de sufrir estrés. Nuestros resultados señalan importantes factores de riesgo que los empresarios podrían considerar, aunque es necesario seguir investigando entre los grupos menos representados en nuestra muestra. Con base en las intervenciones de salud laboral respaldadas con pruebas, sugerimos medidas que podrían promover mejores condiciones de trabajo y, así mejorar la salud mental de los conservacionistas y su capacidad para proteger la naturaleza.

How different types of environmentalists are perceived: changing perceptions by the feature.

Introduction: Previous research found stereotypes of environmentalists as barriers to public engagement and identification with environmentalism. Yet, there is limited understanding of the distinct attributes of an environmentalist that influence public perceptions and self-identification. In our research, we address this knowledge gap by analyzing reactions to a range of fictional environmentalist profiles. Methods: We investigated how multiple features of these profiles (e.g., gender, occupation, type of pro-environmentalism) influenced stereotypes (such as competence, friendliness, and trustworthiness), perceived typicality, and participants' self-identification with the described profiles, using a novel conjoint experiment approach with 678 US residents. Results: We found that profiles described as women, Asians, working as a cleaner or office clerk, and politically moderate or liberal, exhibiting private to moderate environmental behaviors and global environmental concerns, were generally perceived as more typical for environmentalists. Moreover, participants most identified with profiles depicted as women, in a cleaner occupation, and exhibiting private pro-environmental behaviors. Atypical profile descriptions, based on prior research, enhanced participants' impressions only when associated with private pro-environmental behaviors or the cleaner occupation. Discussion: We introduce new avenues in impression formation research and the use of conjoint analyses in psychological research; moreover, we contribute valuable input to the environmental movement regarding message framing considering the source and content relative to the targeted audience.

Formative experiences and psychological distance in the lives of contemporary environmentalists.

Introduction: We use the term "environmentalists" to describe the people who are highly and actively engaged and involved in environmental issues like climate change. Environmentalists consistently advocate, research, or volunteer to do the work needed to address environmental challenges. Factors that drive contemporary environmentalists remain understudied. Methods: We, therefore, ask: what formative experiences drive environmentalists on climate change and other environmental problems at present? We frame this exploration through the significant life experiences (SLE) literature, which examines people and environmental pathways. We also ask: how do feelings of perceptual/actual distance or closeness to environmental threats and climate change shape a person's decision to become an environmentalist? We anchor this query to the psychological distance (PD) literature that explores how people perceive external phenomena and the role distance plays in their conception. To answer both questions, we use qualitative methods and draw on 33 interviews with environmentalists involved in environmental protection work for an average of 91 h in the past 4 weeks. Results: We find that environmentalists spoke about several formative experiences broadly consistent with what has been documented in the SLE literature. Traumatic experiences were especially influential for our sample of environmentalists. Our findings also reveal that PD, especially social, plays a role in the lives of environmentalists. Discussion: Study findings could help scholars and practitioners deepen their understanding of contemporary environmentalists. Practitioners, in particular, could use this knowledge to help environmentalists by providing them with tailored resources and support.

Conhecimento local sobre a importância de um reflorestamento ciliar para a conservação ambiental do Alto São Francisco, Minas Gerais / Local knowledge about the importance of the reforested gallery forest in the environmental conservation of the upper Rio São Francisco, Minas Gerais

O objetivo deste trabalho foi resgatar junto a um grupo de pescadores profissionais (N = 10) e ambientalistas (N = 10) na região do Alto São Francisco, no estado de Minas Gerais, o conhecimento empírico sobre a importância de um reflorestamento ciliar para a manutenção da integridade ambiental do rio São Francisco. Os grupos foram selecionados a partir de um contato inicial para a escolha dos membros participantes e, posteriormente, submetidos a questionários semi-estruturados com questões variadas sobre o tema abordado. As entrevistas ocorreram no período de outubro/2001 a fevereiro/2002. Embora revelassem perfis sociais distintos, especialmente no tocante à formação escolar e diferente motivação para o convívio com as matas ciliares da região, os dois grupos reconheceram a importância da vegetação ribeirinha, nativa e reflorestada, para a preservação da qualidade ambiental dos ecossistemas aquáticos da bacia hidrográfica do rio São Francisco. Tal percepção foi motivada pelo trabalho de conscientização ambientalista das ONGs locais junto aos diferentes segmentos sociais da população dos municípios envolvidos. Ao manterem um convívio permanente com as matas ciliares, os dois grupos demonstraram percepções que se sobrepuseram à literatura técnico-científica, revelando-se uma fonte rica de informações para o aprimoramento das estratégias de preservação e recuperação da vegetação ribeirinha da região.

The aim of this study was to recoup, together with professional fisherman (N = 10) and environmentalists (N = 10), empirical knowledge concerning the importance of the reforestation of the riparian zone in the upper Rio São Francisco region, in Minas Gerais state. Such reforestation is vital for maintaining the environmental integrity of the river. Working groups were selected based on an initial contact, made expressly in order to choose participating members. These members were submitted to semi-structured questionnaires with several questions regarding the importance of preserving riparian vegetation. Interviews were conducted from October/2001 to February/2002. Although interviews revealed distinct social profiles, especially with respect to level of formal education received by participants and their different reasons for coexisting with the gallery forest of the region, both groups recognized, equally, the importance of the riparian vegetation, both native and reforested, in preserving the environmental quality of the surrounding aquatic ecosystem. Such perception has been motivated by the work of local NGO's in raising environmental awareness in the different social segments of the municipalities population involved. By maintaining a permanent coexistence with the surrounding gallery forest, both groups displayed an ecological understanding which overlapped with current scientific knowledge, revealing a rich source of information from which to improve preservation and recuperation strategies of the region riparian vegetation.