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Bar chart of positive mental health impacts via different environmental activities-whole sample and between groups.
Source publication
(1) Background: In Australia, young people are one of the most vulnerable populations to the mental health impacts of climate change. The aim of this article was to explore mental health promotion issues related to climate change for young people in Australia. (2) Methods: An exploratory mixed-method approach, co-led by young people, was used to en...
Citations
... Experts have recently begun exploring ways to transform the helplessness created by climate change into hope and to enhance individuals' awareness of climate change in order to support environmentally friendly behaviors [37]. In a study conducted with young people in Australia, participants mentioned feeling hopeless and powerless because they believed they were not in a position to mitigate the effects of climate change [38]. Therefore, it is necessary and desirable for nurses to be hopeful, both in alleviating their own climate concerns and in actively engaging in climate change prevention. ...
Aim
This research aimed to determine nurses’ climate change worry, their level of hope for climate change prevention, and the relationship between climate change worry and hope for climate change.
Background
Nurses are healthcare professionals actively involved in the fight against climate change. However, their close involvement with the issue can also increase their own climate change worry. Therefore, it is important to maintain high levels of hope among nurses in preventing climate change.
Methods
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with nurses working at a university hospital.
Results
The average score on the Climate Change Worry Scale for nurses was 29.22 ± 9.33, with sub-dimensions scores as follows: personal-sphere will and way 10.96 ± 2.09; collective sphere will 18.36 ± 3.39; lack of will and way dimensions 10.40 ± 2.48. The average score on the climate change hope scale was 39.73 ± 5.52. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between age and the climate change worry scale (r = 0.169, p = 0.020) as well as climate change hope (r = 0.148, p = 0.041).
Conclusion
The research findings indicate that nurses have a high level of climate change worry, but they also have a high level of hope in preventing climate change. It is considered essential to address the concerns of nurses who are actively combating the climate crisis.
... CCE has to acknowledge this difficult knowledge, and address the multiple and varied ways in which we are implicated in the climate crisis (Bryan 2022, referring to Rothberg 2019. This involves actively engaging with young people's increasing tendencies towards eco-anxiety and depression (see e.g., Brophy, Olson, and Paul 2023;Gunasiri et al. 2022). Thus, knowing oneself critically has to entail and reflect one's own role in the climate crisis, how we contribute as well as how we are affected. ...
High expectations are placed on Climate Change Education (CCE), ranging from emotionally and practically preparing young people for the changes ahead, to supporting them in becoming climate-friendly actors. To address these challenges and inspire new approaches, this paper introduces a typology of utopian knowledge into the practice of CCE. It starts by linking utopia and the climate crisis noting that both are oriented to complex futures which are uncertain and simultaneously open to desires for alternatives. We describe forms in which learners can get to know themselves and their worlds in utopian ways-in ways that are informed by the desire for a better way of living. To render the theoretical elaboration more vivid, we present exemplary reflections on how the modes of utopian knowledge might be practiced in CCE. The result are new perspectives on living in the climate crisis, and, hopefully, new ways of being.
... Taking action -ideally real but also simulated -is the end game, however having agency over that action is important. Feeling powerless is a key factor for climate disengagement and poor mental health outcomes in youth [Gunasiri et al., 2022], hence genuine agency and action is critical to solidify the fleeting positive re-appraisal that may occur during a hands-on activity. This is especially important for marginalised or less powerful groups such as youth or women and girls who, while possessing knowledge pivotal for effective responses, are often sidelined [Figueiredo & Perkins, 2013]. ...
Communicating climate change to foster engagement and action is a challenge for science communication requiring novel, creative and diverse methods. In this practice reflection, we explore the potential of climate change related hands-on activities and demonstrations. Following a rapidly implemented COVID-19 project creating climate activities and workshops in the Pacific, we reflect on the underlying qualities of such activities to generate principles to guide design and facilitation of hands-on climate engagement. Through a fusing of theory, literature and practice, five principles are generated: personal and collective relevance, balancing risks/impacts with solutions, deliberative discussion and collaborative/participatory critical thinking, intrinsic motivation and positive emotional engagement, and opportunities for agency and action — with inclusive approaches providing foundation. We then describe applying the principles to refine content and create new activities.
... The findings of this research suggest that alternative food practices contribute to participants' well-being, echoing findings in the climate distress literature that climate actions contribute to well-being [28,39], particularly when combined with hope [24]. However, the findings also suggest that alternative food practices pose psychosocial challenges, as aspects of these practices increase climate distress. ...
... Through alternative food practices, and as found in Thompson et al.'s study of adolescents experiencing climate distress, meaningfully contributing to climate efforts locally can generate a sense of self-efficacy for global efforts [40]. In turn, choosing and valuing climate actions where self-efficacy is possible (small steps in one's sphere of influence) is a helpful approach that can generate hope and increase well-being [39]. Clayton et al. (2017) specify that "[c]onnecting climate impacts to practical solutions encourages action while building emotional resiliency" [3] (p. 17). ...
Experiences of distress and challenging emotions in response to the climate crisis are increasingly common, particularly among young adults. These experiences can include challenging emotions caused by the harmful environmental impacts of conventional food systems, as their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions have become more widely known. While recent studies have examined various experiences of climate distress, the interaction between climate distress and food practice remains poorly understood. In this research, we turn to this intersection by examining the experiences of climate distress of young adults who have alternative food practices, and the interaction between their climate distress and their alternative food practices. Guided by an exploratory, single case study research approach, this research draws from 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with young adults located in urban centres in the Southeastern Prairie Region of Canada. Thematic analysis of the findings reveals that participants experience a variety of climate emotions and a personal responsibility to act in response to the climate crisis. The findings suggest that because of their ability to facilitate a meaningful and practical environmental impact, alternative food practices represent significant climate actions and may be pathways to facilitate coping or managing climate distress among young adults. Results demonstrate the psychological impacts of the climate crisis on young adults, highlighting the need for action on climate change and climate distress. Increasing the accessibility of alternative food practices may support young adults in coping with challenging climate emotions.
... Individual and collective pro-environmental behaviours have been shown to have several benefits in reducing a person's climate anxiety and improving mental health. Benefits can be mental/emotional (sense of achievement, self and collective agency and efficacy, hope, joy, praise, self-esteem), social (developing friendships, sense of belonging) as well as spiritual, and can comprise the development of new skills (knowledge, experience) and connecting with and protecting nature (Budziszewska & Głód, 2021;Gallay, Furlan Brighente, Flanagan, & Lowenstein, 2022;Gunasiri et al., 2022;Patrick, Henderson-Wilson, & Ebden, 2022). A particularity of climate change anxiety, however, is that the threat that elicits these feelings cannot be solved by any individual person. ...
... Several authors have found that engaging in behaviors to mitigate the impact of climate change is an effective way for individuals to manage their anxieties about the future and transform their feelings into optimism and determination [16,17]. Taking action on climate change can reduce personal stress, increase optimism, and, in turn, reduce adverse mental health impacts [18,19]. ...
... Our study found that the most common coping strategies reported by the general adult population included individual coping strategies, with fewer participants endorsing collective environmental behaviors, and the lowest proportion identifying seeking mental health support. Consistent with previous research, our study found that adults engaged in sustainability-related behaviors designed to mitigate the impacts of climate change (e.g., climate action) [16,18,19]. Participants described how these actions promoted feelings of hope, empowerment, and a sense of control. ...
The climate emergency is an existential threat to human health and environmental sustainability. Recent climate-induced events, such as Australia’s catastrophic bushfires of 2019–2020 and floods of 2022, demonstrate the impacts of the climate crisis on physical and mental health of populations. Using a cross-sectional online survey (N = 5483), we examine how Australians are coping with climate change impacts on mental health. The survey included qualitative questions (open-ended comment boxes and ‘other’ spaces throughout the survey) and quantitative questions (e.g., Likert and bipolar scales) on demographics and the mental health impacts of climate change, environmental behaviour engagement (EBE), and mental health help-seeking (MHHS). Australians are using a range of individual and collective coping strategies to help cope with climate change problems, experiences, and anxiety. They have developed a range of coping strategies including contact with nature, taking sustainability actions, practicing problem-focused and meaning-focused coping, and mental health help-seeking, that need to be understood and reinforced by health professionals. Our findings also highlight a link between direct experience of a climate change event and participants’ EBE and MHHS. We recommend assessment processes and green prescribing as a sustainability action intervention framework that health professionals can offer as a response to ongoing community concern about climate change.
... Concerning the country where the studies took place, the United States of America was the most represented, in three studies [26,28,29] (one of which also included European undergraduate students [26]). Three studies were conducted in Europe (Norway [30], Germany [27], and Italy [31]), two studies were conducted in Australia [32,33], one study was conducted in Canada [34], and lastly, one study was conducted in Bangladesh [35]. The exposure of interest was generically defined as climate change perception ...
... Concerning the country where the studies took place, the United States of America was the most represented, in three studies [26,28,29] (one of which also included European undergraduate students [26]). Three studies were conducted in Europe (Norway [30], Germany [27], and Italy [31]), two studies were conducted in Australia [32,33], one study was conducted in Canada [34], and lastly, one study was conducted in Bangladesh [35]. The exposure of interest was generically defined as climate change perception in half of the included studies (n = 5) [27,[32][33][34][35], whereas one study defined climate change perception as referring to environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviors [26]. ...
... Three studies were conducted in Europe (Norway [30], Germany [27], and Italy [31]), two studies were conducted in Australia [32,33], one study was conducted in Canada [34], and lastly, one study was conducted in Bangladesh [35]. The exposure of interest was generically defined as climate change perception in half of the included studies (n = 5) [27,[32][33][34][35], whereas one study defined climate change perception as referring to environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviors [26]. Climate change preoccupation was assessed by two studies [30,31], whereas climate change awareness [29] and the emotional and functional impact on participants of climate change perceptions [28] were assessed by one study each. ...
Citation: Gianfredi, V.; Mazziotta, F.; Clerici, G.; Astorri, E.; Oliani, F.; Cappellina, M.; Catalini, A.; Dell'Osso, B.M.; Pregliasco, F.E.; Castaldi, S.; et al. Climate Change Perception and Mental Health. Results from a Systematic Review of the Literature. Abstract: Climate change is one of the main global challenges and influences various aspects of human health. Numerous studies have indeed demonstrated an association between extreme climate-related events and physical and mental health outcomes, but little is still known about the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. In accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. The included studies were original observational studies published in English, reporting the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. A total of 3018 articles were identified. A total of 10 observational studies were included. The period covered in the included studies ranged between 2012 and 2022. Climate change perception is consistently associated with adverse mental health effects across different types of estimates. In particular, the studies identified an association between a higher level of perception/awareness of climate change and depression, anxiety, eco-anxiety, stress, adjustment disorder, substance use, dysphoria, and even thoughts of suicide. Qualitative data underscore the impact on daily activities, contributing to feelings of loss and suicidal ideation. Moreover, climate change perception correlates with lower well-being and resilience. The association between awareness of climate change and mental health is a complex and still poorly explored phenomenon. The main limitations are the high heterogeneity in terms of exposure assessment and data reporting, which hinders quantitative analysis. These results show that climate change perception impacts mental health. Better understanding the phenomenon represents an opportunity to inform public health interventions that promote mental well-being.
... It would be naïve to think that these kinds of omnipresent global crises do not affect young people's well-being regardless of whether they identify them as part of the reasons behind their mental health difficulties or not. Evidence is mounting that it is a significant factor in young people's growing mental health problems [12][13][14][15]. As child psychotherapist Louis Weinstock points out, young people's mental health is complex, but that "we don't focus anywhere near enough on the ways in which this world affects our children's minds" [16] p. 6. ...
This paper presents the findings of research focused on a youth work project which specializes in working with young people experiencing a variety of mental health issues, in the southwest of England. The qualitative data from the young people, youth workers, and stakeholders demonstrate the significance of a person-centered, asset-based approach to improving young people’s experiences with mental health. It provides a countervailing narrative to the dominant diagnostic and problematized focus of mental health services for young people. The research provides evidence that mental health for young people can be strengthened—even for those experiencing significant problems—through group work activities that develop resilience, confidence, and builds on their inherent strengths. This approach enables young people to develop their own responses to their problems rather than rely on external interventions that are orientated toward treatment. The research suggests that young people’s mental ill health in certain circumstances may well be improved by youth work rather than through a medicalized approach.
... Also; "Climate action" refers to individual-organizational efforts to reduce GHGs emissions and increase springiness to climate change impacts. (Gunasiri, et al., 2022). Moreover; "Climate action" refers to all activities lead the world transform its energy, industry, transport, food, agriculture and forestry systems to ensure that can limit global temperature rise than 1.5°C. ...
This paper aims to find ways to ensure the sustainability of global climate action. As a result of the research, a pyramid was designed to achieve sustainability for global climate action strategies, starting from the base that includes the necessary needs for implementing global climate action, through formulating some of the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities (GCA-SWOT) facing global climate action, reaching the top of the GCA pyramid that includes sustainability in global climate action.
... Comtesse et al. (2021) introduced the concept of ecological pain and framed it in the context of mourning in the case of a mountaineer in Central Europe. The authors described how ecological pain can represent a risk to mental health [11]. Coppola and Pihkala (2023) used semi-structured interviews to explore participants' emotions regarding the climate. ...
... The findings showed an association with climate emotions in young Americans: their emotions about climate change, such as anger, pain, and guilt, were very common [4]. Gunasiri et al. (2022) showed the positive impacts of the climate on feeling optimistic in quantitative and qualitative studies. Quantitative data analysis was performed with Excel and STATA 16.0 with descriptive analysis, and a qualitative data analysis was performed sequentially using thematic analysis techniques combined with inductive and deductive approaches [12]. ...
... -Sex: not specified [11] The aim of this study was to investigate the emotional aspects related to climate change in young Australians. ...
According to the scientific literature, climate change, due to human activities, can damage the environment, with psycho-physical consequences for humans. The scientific literature has highlighted how severe weather events can cause fear, stress, concern for the future, and eco-anxiety. In light of this information, this study aims to explore the concept of eco-anxiety. However, climate change is still perceived as a secondary problem. It would also be worth investigating the real importance that people attach to environmental issues compared to other circumstances, such as wars or pandemics.
