Climate change is widely understood as an environmental and economic threat, but new research from the University of Sydney shows it is also a growing social crisis, weakening the relationships people rely on to survive.

Published in Nature Human Behaviour, the international study found climate change is eroding social connection at a time when those ties are most needed, creating a feedback loop where disruption to relationships reduces people's ability to adapt and recover.

"Climate change isn't just something happening 'out there,'" said lead author Dr. Marlee Bower from the Matilda Center for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. "It's reshaping how we live, how we connect, and ultimately who has support when things go wrong."