Solastalgia

Solastalgia is a term used to describe the distress people feel when their home environment undergoes negative environmental change. Coined by Australian philosopher Glenn A. Albrecht in the early 2000s and popularized in his later writings, the word blends elements of solace and nostalgia to capture the grief, anxiety, and sense of loss tied to a changing place. It is not a clinical diagnosis, but a concept in environmental psychology and related fields.

The concept centers on the emotional impact of environmental disruption experienced at home or in one’s immediate surroundings. Symptoms can include sadness, anger, powerlessness, and a longing for a place as it once was. Solastalgia arises from phenomena such as climate-driven changes, deforestation, mining and resource extraction, pollution, natural disasters, and rapid urbanization. It is closely linked to place attachment and identity, as changes to the landscape can feel like a threat to belonging and self-definition.

In research, solastalgia is discussed alongside eco-anxiety and ecological grief. Researchers have proposed scales to measure related distress and have explored its implications for mental health, community resilience, and policy. The concept has been applied in studies of vulnerable communities, indigenous lands, and regions facing environmental degradation, highlighting the need for planning and adaptation strategies that acknowledge emotional as well as physical well-being.

Critiques note that labeling distress as solastalgia can risk pathologizing normal responses to environmental change. Nonetheless, the term remains a useful lens for understanding the psychological dimensions of living through environmental transformation.