Eco-anxiety: climate change fears in children and young people
Eco-anxiety: climate change fears in children and young people
Following the global climate strikes last week, many parents may be wondering how best to discuss the climate crisis with their children. Some families may be unsure as to how to have these important conversations about our changing environment, without overwhelming their children.
Indeed, the science behind climate change can be overwhelming. The changing climate is associated with severe weather events, natural disasters and impacts on our physical health. Not only are there impacts on the environment and our physical health, but research also tells us that climate change is starting to affect our mental health. According to a recent review of the research, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from natural disaster events are the most common mental health effects of climate change (Palinkas & Wong, 2019). And young people are concerned about this. In their recent survey of over 15,000 Australian young people, triple j found that 43% said climate change was the biggest issue affecting their generation.
While climate change is a rational fear and does require our concern and action, some children and young people are beginning to experience excessive and chronic worry about the state of the environment or “eco-anxiety”. This can be common in children and young people with pre-existing anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Eco-anxiety becomes problematic if it consumes the young person’s time, causes them distress or interferes with their day-to-day functioning. Even climate activist Greta Thunberg reports she once experienced mental health issues as a result of her climate change fears, including depression, OCD and selective mutism. However, she soon turned her fear into action, influencing her parents to reduce their carbon footprint and beginning the school climate strikes.
To help turn children's eco-anxiety into positive action, parents are encouraged to openly discuss their anxious child’s climate concerns, answer their questions and research ways we can individually or collectively take action to protect the environment. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has published helpful resources for supporting children in a world affected by climate change.
If you, or your child, are struggling to deal with eco-anxiety, get in touch to discuss an assessment and treatment plan with one of our experienced clinical psychologists.
Authors: Cassie Lavell, Jacinda Cadman and Ella Oar, Clinical Psychologists
