2023-08-25 09:51:00
Climate change is not anecdotal, more and more countries are concerned.
Floods, melting ice, heat waves, fires are all phenomena that are set to increase. This creates eco-anxiety, especially among young people whose mental health is impacted.
539 Britons interviewed for the study
A study carried out in the United Kingdom and published in PLOS Global Public Heath looked at this impact by interviewing 539 Britons aged 16 to 24.
An online survey was conducted to assess general mental health, subjective well-being and climatic distress using existing scales. “We have also included new questions assessing the positive and negative impacts of climate change on life, open-ended questions on aspirations and priorities for the future, and engagement in pro-environment and climate actions,” says the director. ‘study.
Young people anxious but inclined to act
The results of the study revealed that 10% of young people were very anxious and worried more frequently than any other issue regarding the impact of climate change on their future.
“Although few of these people had experienced extreme weather events, they said they were devastated by environmental degradation in the places they loved, frustrated with the lack of action on climate change, the lack of personal action, worry regarding their future and feelings of guilt and shame,” reads the statement released following the study.
However, although worried regarding the future of the planet, these young people are inclined to act as the researchers clarified: “Positive emotions, such as hope, and negative emotions, such as anger and frustration, were linked to climate activism, while guilt, shame, sadness and fear were associated with less action. »
Youth support needed
The team also highlighted the importance of accompanying and supporting young people experiencing eco-anxiety, as their mental health should not be put on the back burner: “Even in the midst of the global pandemic, and despite being spared the worst climate impacts, young British residents were upset by climate change. Our work suggests that emotions related to climate change can prompt action, which has implications for how we communicate regarding climate change. Our results also highlight the need for targeted and climate-sensitive psychosocial support to simultaneously support youth climate engagement and mental health. »
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