A recent study published by the American Psychiatric Association suggests that young people’s mental health may be significantly impacted by climate change.
The study, which was co-authored with the climate advocacy group ecoAmerica, shows how climate change-related environmental events, such as natural disasters, intense heat waves, and poor air quality, can cause or worsen mental health problems in children and teenagers.
According to the report, these groups may develop post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of natural disasters. Long-term issues such as heat, drought, and poor air quality can raise the risk of bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, aggression, and other conditions as well as cognitive impairment.
The senior director of applied psychology for the association, Dr. Dennis P. Stolle, sent an email to CNN stating, “The report documents psychological harms that are happening right now to the children and youth in our country.” We cannot put off solving these problems until later. We need to act as a society right now.
The report was made public on Wednesday and is a follow-up to a study that ecoAmerica and the American Psychiatric Association carried out in 2021. It is the most recent of several studies conducted since 2014 by the two organizations. The studies provide an overview of previous research on youth development, mental health, and climate change rather than conducting brand-new experiments.
Dr. Sue Clayton, the lead author of the report and a psychology professor at the College of Wooster, claims that children are more susceptible to the negative effects of climate change-related weather events on their mental health because they may not have the same coping mechanisms as adults.
The mental health of a parent may be impacted if they are experiencing stress due to a natural disaster, such as intense heat or wildfires.
“A child’s mental health may be impacted if their parent is under stress due to anxieties or fears,” Clayton stated. “Emotional health and well-being can be permanently impacted by early-life trauma.”
According to the report, these effects on mental health start even before a child is born. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, developmental delays, low self-control, and psychiatric disorders are just a few of the behavioral and developmental problems that can affect a child during pregnancy if they are exposed to weather-related events, high temperatures, air pollution, and anxiety in the mother.
Clayton stated that the effects are frequently irreversible and can have an impact on how the nervous system develops.
Climate change-related weather events and news coverage of them have the potential to cause anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, impaired cognitive development, and major depressive disorder in infants and early children.
According to the report, adolescents may be directly impacted by natural disasters linked to climate change, but they may also be indirectly impacted by mental health consequences like trauma and anxiety. Weather-related events, heat waves, and pollution can cause havoc in a child’s life, resulting in canceled school days, damaged homes, and food insecurity.
According to the report, young adults and adolescents are especially concerned about climate change. Young people are more likely than their older counterparts to be alarmed or concerned about the perceived inaction of governments or other authority figures regarding climate change.
The study claims that incidents connected to climate change and anxiety surrounding the topic are associated with increased risks of anxiety, depression, strained social relationships, and suicide.
Clayton stated, “They’re concerned about it because they know it will have an impact on their future.” “When you don’t know what the future holds, how do you make plans for it?”
She is also worried about the potential effects of climate change on young adults who are choosing their relationships and careers. The study found that the effects of severe weather and anxiety related to climate change had an impact on decision-making, reduced self-control, and impaired cognitive function.
“They’re making the choices that will impact their professional aspirations and plans for the rest of their lives,” Clayton continued. Will they be able to make savings? What about their choices regarding having kids?
The researchers point out that different young people respond differently to the effects of climate change on their mental health. Extreme weather is more likely to affect those from underprivileged or marginalized groups, such as women, people with disabilities, communities of color, and indigenous people.
Additionally, they might not have as many coping mechanisms for severe weather as people in wealthier areas do. Higher income areas, for example, typically have more trees to provide shade from the heat, according to Clayton.
But the report also emphasized strategies to mitigate climate change’s negative effects on young people’s mental health. It suggests, among other things, that school systems take on a bigger role by creating more protective infrastructure and developing curricula related to climate change.
Additionally, health care providers could routinely and early screen for youth distress related to climate change. According to Stolle, more clinical psychologists are treating patients who are anxious about climate change.
“Treating patients who are experiencing these concerns puts clinical psychologists on the front lines of care,” he stated in his email.
However, Clayton believes that it affects more than just medical professionals.
We’re all impacted by this, she continued. “In a sense, children are society’s future. We intended to provide interested parties with access to information regarding the issue and possible solutions.
