A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal
Beyond mental well-being: A One Health perspective on biophobias
Authors: Mammola, Stefano; Nanni, Veronica; Martino, Simone; Correia, Ricardo; Eckert, Ester M; Norberg, Melissa M; Soga, Masashi
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Bioscience
Journal name in source: BioScience
Article number: biaf084
ISSN: 0006-3568
eISSN: 1525-3244
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf084
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf084
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499374571
Aversive responses toward elements of the natural world, termed biophobias, are widespread. Whether they involve an irrational fear of animals, plants, germs, or dark forests, biophobias have far-reaching consequences that remain largely unstudied outside psychology and psychiatry. Foremost, biophobias affect mental health and entail direct (e.g., healthcare) and indirect (e.g., absenteeism from work) costs. In addition, they contribute to environmental and health issues through the overuse of pesticides and sanitizers, hinder sustainability efforts (e.g., insect phobia as a barrier to adopting insects in Western diets), and incur nonmaterial costs such as cultural erosion and avoidance of nature. Because these impacts emerge from complex interactions between human societies and ecosystems, we argue that biophobias are a quintessential One Health issue. One Health thinking could guide research and policy efforts to integrate medical, socioeconomic, and ecological perspectives in addressing biophobias. To advance a One Health agenda for biophobias, key knowledge gaps urgently need to be addressed.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
Funding information in the publication:
S. Mammola acknowledges support of the National Biodiversity Future Center of Italy, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, Missione 4, Componente 2, “Dalla ricerca all’impresa,” Investimento 1.4, project no. CN00000033. RAC acknowledges support from the Research Council of Finland (grant agreement no. 348352) and the KONE Foundation (grant agreement no. 202101976). VN has been supported by the Italian national interuniversity PhD course in Sustainable Development and Climate Change (www.phd-sdc.it). MS was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grant no. 23K28273).
