Government inaction on climate change is linked to psychological distress in young people – Do you care?
Press release of the University of Bath
PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Nearly half of global youth surveyed (45%) say climate anxiety and distress is affecting their daily lives and activities – according to results from the largest scientific study of Climate anxiety in children and young adults, according to recent research.
The first study, based on surveys of 10,000 children and young adults (16-25) across 10 countries, found that 75% of young adults surveyed believe ‘the future is scary’ – jump to 81% youth surveyed in Portugal and 92% in the Philippines.
For the first time, research has found that climate anxiety and distress is significantly associated with government inaction in perceived perceived and associated feelings of betrayal. 58% of children and young adults surveyed said governments were “betraying me and/or future generations,” while 64% said their governments were not doing enough to avoid climate catastrophe.
Research shows psychological distress is common among children and young people globally and warns ‘such high levels of distress, functional effects and feelings of betrayal will negatively affect health. mental health of children and young people.’ Experts warn that because continued government inaction on climate change would be psychologically damaging, it could potentially violate international human rights law.
Caroline Hickman, from the University of Bath, Climate Psychology Alliance “This study paints a dire picture of widespread climate anxiety among our children and young adults,” said study co-author and co-author of the study. It suggests for the first time that high levels of psychological distress in young people are related to government inaction.
“Our children’s anxiety is a perfectly reasonable response to the inadequate responses to climate change they are seeing from governments. Children and young people are now campaigning around the world and taking governments to court; argue that inaction on climate change is a violation of their human rights. This study makes an important contribution to these legal arguments, which treat climate anxiety and distress as a ‘moral vulnerability’. “
co-conductor, Dr. Liz Marks, from Bath’s University Psychology adds: “This study shows us how many young people around the world feel betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect them. Even so, governments at COP26 have failed to take the bold and decisive action needed to combat climate change. The decisions those in power are making now will have the biggest impact on the youngest and future generations, yet they feel dismissed and ignored.
“We must consider the future of young people, listen to their voices and put them at the center of decision-making. By bringing all generations together, we can ask governments to engage in the urgent climate change action we so desperately need.”
Mitzi Tan, 23, from the Philippines, said: “I grew up scared of drowning in my own bedroom. Society tells me that this anxiety is an irrational fear that needs to be overcome – a fear that meditation and healthy coping mechanisms will ‘fix’. At its root, our climate anxiety stems from a deep sense of betrayal by government inaction. To really address our growing climate anxiety, we need justice. “
Beth Irving, a 19-year-old climate activist behind the Cardiff student climate strikes, said: “When I was 16… I went through a period of feeling completely helpless in the face of this huge problem, and then will start organizing protests or change things in my school. Putting too much energy into something and then seeing too little of the real-life impact is exhausting; I have had many occasions to hide and think “None of this is enough”. It is disastrous to put this on the shoulders of young people – hope needs to come from palpable structural action instead. ”
Additional findings from the study include:
- 59% of children and young people surveyed are very worried about climate change;
- More than half of the respondents said they felt fear, sadness, anxiety, anger, helplessness, helplessness and/or guilt;
- 55% of respondents feel they will have fewer opportunities than their parents;
- 65% say governments are failing young people, while 61% say the way governments respond to climate change is not about “protecting me, the planet and/or future generations”. future”;
- Almost half (48%) of those who said they had spoken to others about climate change felt ignored or dismissed.
- Young people surveyed from Global South expressed more anxiety and greater influence on activity; while young people surveyed in Portugal (which has seen a significant increase in wildfires since 2017) show the highest levels of anxiety for those from the North Global.
The study concluded that governments must respond to ‘protect the mental health of children and young people by engaging in ethical, collective, policy-based actions to combat climate change. .’
Research notes
- 10,000 young people (aged 16-25) were surveyed, using the polling company Kantar, in ten countries:
- Australia, United States, United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Finland, Portugal, Brazil and France. Data is collected about their thoughts and feelings about climate change and the government’s response.
- The research was carried out by scholars from multiple institutions: University of Bath, University of Helsinki, NYU Langone Health, University of East Anglia, Stanford Medicine Center for Innovation in Global Health, and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, The College of Wooster, Climate Psychiatry Alliance.
- The cost of the survey was sponsored by AVAAZ. Avaaz is funded by small donations from citizens worldwide, allowing it to fund urgently needed quantitative research in the emerging field of climate psychology. Avaaz has been campaigning on climate change for more than a decade.
JOURNEYS
Lancet Planet Health
DOI
10.1016 / S2542-5196 (21) 00278-3
RESEARCH METHODS
Content analysis
RESEARCH SUBJECTS
Everyone
ARTICLE TITLE
Climate anxiety among children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
December 9, 2021
REPORT REPORT
COI: No competing interests. Acknowledgments: AVAAZ paid for the survey and arranged for data collection to be conducted by an independent recruitment platform (Kantar). We acknowledge Judith Anderson (Climate Psychology Alliance) and Natasha Mavronicola (University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.S.).
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