A new study published in the journal Nature reveals the extent of the psychological effects of the climate crisis on young people and adolescents around the world.
Research shows that young people feel that governments around the world are not doing enough to fight the crisis, and that they are unable to prevent its future damage, which is causing them increased climate anxiety.
Fires in Greece // Photo: Reuters
So what is climate anxiety?
It is a term that has evolved in recent years and is defined as "chronic fear of environmental loss."
As the climate crisis worsens, along with the extreme events we see around the world such as ongoing fires or severe floods, the phenomenon is only getting worse among young people who are worried about their future on Earth.
The deceased is also known as "environmental anxiety" or "ecological anxiety".
Feeling we have 'Run out of gas' emotionally // Photo Illustration: GettyImages,
According to the study, conducted among thousands of 16- to 25-year-olds in ten countries, climate change causes distress, anger and other negative emotions among young people.
The study found that most respondents were concerned about climate change, with almost 60% saying they felt "particularly concerned" or "very concerned."
45% of participants said that their feelings about climate change affected their daily lives.
The countries with the highest proportion of respondents who felt 'very concerned' or 'particularly concerned' about climate change were the Philippines (84%), India (68%) and Brazil (67%), countries that were severely affected by climate change.
California fires // Photo: Reuters,
Study participants negatively rated the government’s response to climate change and reported feelings of betrayal, abandonment, and insecurity.
It was found that climate anxiety and distress are significantly related to the country’s inadequate response to the climate crisis.
65% of respondents agreed with the statement that governments are failing to address the crisis, 64% agreed that they are lying about the impact of the actions taken to address the problem.
Only 36% agreed that governments act according to science.
However, young people do feel secure when governments operate.
"Climate change is a real dimension of the mental health problems of teens and young people - and the results of the study are proof of that," Sarah Ray, a climate anxiety researcher at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California told Nature.
"If the research can help and make more accountable among government bodies, it will be extraordinary."
