Page 78 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Children coping with climate change anxiety

Adding to the pressure on our planet is an increasing is causally tied to the inadequacy of the human response
world population, along with a misplaced commitment to and resources (Rothschild & Haase, 2023). Children are
economic prosperity. Nevertheless, efforts to address the reported as particularly vulnerable to climate change
causes of climate change remain extremely slow. anxiety (Wu et al., 2020) and children’s experience in this
regard has been explored qualitatively. In clinical and
Recently, the concept of a zero-carbon future and
global commitments to change have attracted the research settings, Hickman (2020) reported that children
attention of the world, but a successful shift toward this commonly express feelings of severe anxiety, fear, guilt,
ideal direction requires more urgent global actions. This shame, being misunderstood, betrayed, and abandoned
imminent requirement for significant global action means by adults, all of which are associated with rage toward and
blaming of adults. Strife (2012) reported that the majority
that our children have been born into unprecedented of the 50 children interviewed expressed apocalyptic and
times. Indeed, UNICEF (2021) highlights that one pessimistic feelings. There is also a study in which both
billion children will be at extremely high risk of stress
caused by climate change. This could be a direct impact parents and educators specifically identified children
suffering from climate change anxiety (Baker et al., 2021).
of living in a changing environment (Xu et al., 2023) or
population displacement (Palinkas, 2020). The stress can The unique characteristics of climate change anxiety
also be from an indirect impact after they are exposed are that: (i) it is rational and thus unfit to the traditional
to media reporting on catastrophic extreme weather criteria for anxiety disorders (Kotera & Taylor, 2022)
events (Robie & Marbrook, 2020). These experiences because it is a practical response to the possibly life-
could significantly impact how our children perceive threatening phenomenon, which drives the person in that
the world. Without the implementation of radical and situation to take preventable actions, and (ii) it is complex
urgent measures to reverse the adverse impacts of human and can be detrimental because the person cannot make
behavior on the environment, our children who will a considerable change to the possibly life-threatening
become the next generation of adults will have to brace phenomenon (Kotera et al., 2022). Therefore, this paper
for the environmental damages and climatic disasters aims to explore how children are coping with climate
engendered by the people of this generation. While it is change anxiety and the possible interventions to support
inevitable that our children will need to cope with these them. Finally, it will identify gaps in understanding the
global challenges, we must at least explore how these impact on the well-being of this population group.
cataclysmic events will impact them and what measures
we can devise to support them. 2. How children are coping with climate-
anxiety
There has been extensive discussion regarding the
impacts of climate change on physical health (IPCC, 2022; How children cope with climate change and climate
WHO, 2021), contributing to an increased awareness of its change anxiety is a growing research area. Through a
deleterious health impacts in the long term (Berry et al., narrative synthesis of 51 studies on youth perceptions of
2018). Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects climate change, Lee et al. (2020) reported that younger
of climate change such as heat waves (Dreisbach, 2019). children (11 – 16 years) were more concerned with climate
The enormous challenges global populations face from the change than older children (17 – 18 years), and primary-
changing climate are also “creating stressors that worsen age children showed more willingness to address climate
the mental health of individuals” (Meier et al., 2022 p.6). change than secondary-age children did. Swim et al. (2022)
Indeed, climate change is considered “the biggest threat demonstrated that the disparity in the levels of concern and
to global mental health in the coming century” (Charlson willingness increases with the age difference between two
et al., 2022 p.6), in the form of physical and mental health generation groups under comparison. There is a growing
impacts, with the latter being triggered by the negative body of evidence supporting engagement with climate
anticipation and perception of climate-induced events change as a strategy for coping with associated harmful
(Clayton & Karazsia, 2020). The relationship between psychological effects. For instance, van Nieuwenhuizen
climate change and mental health is an area requiring et al. (2021) suggested fostering pro-environmental
further investigations (Berry et al., 2018). On a similar behaviors and activism in children, while Sampaio &
note, Prencipe et al. (2021) and Majeed & Lee (2017) Sequeira (2022) recommended organizing community
specifically highlight the paucity of research concerning climate action events to promote efficacy and restore the
the impact of climate change on children’s mental health children’s faith in the future of our planet.
and well-being. Mental distress about climate change is In theory, climate activism falls within the realm
commonly referred to as climate change anxiety, which of positive coping strategies of problem-focused and

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 72 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0850