Solastalgia as a Neglected Psychosocial Stressor in Later-Life Aging Under Environmental Change

Abstract Aging unfolds within environmental contexts that shape everyday experiences, wellbeing, and vulnerability in later life. Although gerontological research has traditionally emphasized biological, clinical, and social determinants of aging, the emotional implications of environmental change remain comparatively underexplored. Gradual transformations such as rising temperatures, loss of green spaces, and alterations to familiar landscapes may be particularly consequential for older adults, whose lives are often strongly embedded in place and increasingly dependent on their immediate environments. In later life, environmental change may therefore be experienced not only as a physical or infrastructural challenge, but also as an emotional one, affecting continuity, security, and belonging. This article introduces solastalgia as a conceptual lens for understanding place-based distress associated with environmental change when individuals remain in their home environment. Rather than proposing solastalgia as a clinical condition, the paper situates the concept within established debates in environmental gerontology, including place attachment, environmental continuity, and aging in place. By explicitly integrating these perspectives, the paper contributes to extending environmental gerontology to incorporate emotional responses to environmental change and to reframing psychosocial vulnerability in later life as partly shaped by dynamic person–environment interactions. The article also outlines directions for future research and highlights implications for aging research, public health, and environmental policy in the context of ongoing environmental change.