Measuring negative emotional responses to climate change among young people in survey research: A systematic review

Martin, Gina; Cosma, Alina; Roswell, Tasha; Anderson, Martin; Treble, Margaret A.; Leslie, Kathleen; Card, Kiffer G.; Closson, Kalysha; Kennedy, Angel; Gislason, Maya

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116008

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…An emerging body of evidence suggests that indirect exposure to climate change events through media content or from thinking about climate change can evoke strong negative emotions in children and adolescents or eco-anxiety. Reviews, which are based primarily on studies from high-income countries, have found that children and adolescents can experience eco-anxiety and negative affective responses in reaction to awareness of climate change, including depression, anxiety, and extreme emotions like sadness, anger, and fear [ 15 – 17 ]. Females may be more vulnerable to eco-anxiety [ 15 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being: A narrative review

Proulx,

Daelmans,

Baltag

et al. 2024

J Glob Health

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Background Worldwide, the climate is changing and affecting the health and well-being of children in many ways. In this review, we provided an overview of how climate change-related events may affect child and adolescent health and well-being, including children’s mental and physical health, nutrition, safety and security, learning opportunities, and family caregiving and connectedness. Methods In this narrative review, we highlighted and discussed peer-reviewed evidence from 2012–23, primarily from meta-analyses and systematic reviews. The search strategy used a large and varied number of search terms across three academic databases to identify relevant literature. Results There was consistent evidence across systematic reviews of impact on four themes. Climate-related events are associated with a) increases in posttraumatic stress and other mental health disorders in children and adolescents, b) increases in asthma, respiratory illnesses, diarrheal diseases and vector-borne diseases, c) increases in malnutrition and reduced growth and d) disruptions to responsive caregiving and family functioning, which can be linked to poor caregiver mental health, stress and loss of resources. Evidence of violence against children in climate-related disaster contexts is inconclusive. There is a lack of systematic review evidence on the associations between climate change and children’s learning outcomes. Conclusions Systematic review evidence consistently points to negative associations between climate change and children’s physical and mental health, well-being, and family functioning. Yet, much remains unknown about the causal pathways linking climate-change-related events and mental and physical health, responsive relationships and connectedness, nutrition, and learning in children and adolescents. This evidence is urgently needed so that adverse health and other impacts from climate change can be prevented or minimised through well-timed and appropriate action.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being: A narrative review

Proulx,

Daelmans,

Baltag

et al. 2024

J Glob Health

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“…Although the media has picked up the language of climate anxiety, academic and professional use of the term tends to be more cautious and critical (Budziszewska, 2023). Particularly, it is important to note that experiencing such emotional responses to climate change is a rational response to the serious issues facing the planet (Heeren & Asmundson, 2022;Martin et al, 2022Martin et al, , 2023. Such emotions can be both adaptive and constructive in that they may motivate pro-environmental action.…”

Section: Climate Change and Mental Health And Wellbeing-a Brief Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This concept is often discussed in the climate change and mental health and wellbeing discourse (Albrecht, 2005;Galway et al, 2019) and draws largely on geographical theories of human attachment to place (Curtis & Oven, 2012;Ferrarello, 2023). Beyond solastalgia, a range of emotions about climate change are experienced (Marczak et al, 2023;Martin et al, 2023). Understanding various emotions could be an important area for future inquiry as different emotions may be related to mental health and wellbeing outcomes in different ways (Martin et al, 2022).…”

Section: A Health Geography Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica published a series of reports highlighting the links between climate change and psychological health (Clayton et al, 2017(Clayton et al, , 2021. In the years since the first of these publications, there has been an increase in research on the links between climate change and mental health and wellbeing within various disciplines, including psychology and public health (Martin et al, 2023;Massazza et al, 2022). Given the urgency of the climate change crisis, it is important to consider if, and how, various academic fields can contribute to building a better understanding of the climate change-mental health and wellbeing connection (Charlson et al, 2022).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Climate change and mental health and wellbeing: Reflections from a health geography lens

Martin

2024

Geography Compass

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There is a growing recognition of the importance of research into the effects of climate change on mental health and wellbeing. This paper provides an overview of the pathways through which climate change can affect mental health and wellbeing, highlighting the valuable contribution that health geography can make in this field of study. Given expertise in spatial processes, human‐environment interactions, and diverse research methods, health geographers are well‐equipped to enhance our understanding of the connection between climate change and mental health and wellbeing. The paper proposes two key areas of future focus: (1) exploring the reciprocal relationships between mental health and place, and (2) integrating knowledge from health geography and environmental sustainability. Health geography can play a critical role in developing knowledge to support mitigation strategies and promote mental health and wellbeing in the face of climate change.

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“…Taking a contemporary perspective to adolescent mental health means that we recognize that adolescents today are experiencing life in a different context than the generations before; therefore, it is important to continue to update our knowledge of adolescent mental health with this in mind. The last decades have seen great changes in young peoples' lives, including technological advancement, global conflict, environmental change, social polarization, and the COVID-19 pandemic, all which may impact on adolescent mental health (e.g., Martin et al, 2022 , 2023 ; Boer et al, 2023 ). Accordingly, this collection of papers brings together diverse perspectives including different cultural contexts and research methodologies, shedding light on various facets of adolescent mental health (e.g., time trends, COVID-19 impacts, mechanisms) and offering valuable contributions to this evolving field.…”

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confidence: 99%

Editorial: Contemporary perspectives in adolescent mental health

Cosma,

Martin,

Walsh

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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Measuring negative emotional responses to climate change among young people in survey research: A systematic review

Cited by 9 publications

References 50 publications

Climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being: A narrative review

Climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being: A narrative review

Climate change and mental health and wellbeing: Reflections from a health geography lens

Editorial: Contemporary perspectives in adolescent mental health

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