The scary reality of climate change has captured the attention of all generations. But the sense of grief young people across the globe are experiencing over the loss of their future is taking a dangerous toll on their mental health.
A new global study, “Young People’s Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon” published in The Lancet, found the majority of young people ages 16 to 25 suffer from high levels of climate anxiety.
The landmark study surveyed 10,000 young adults in 10 countries and found that 6 in 10 young people were “very” or “extremely” worried about the climate crisis.
The study included these alarming highlights:
- 83% felt people have failed to care for the planet.
- 55% said they had less opportunity than their parents due to climate change.
- 39% were uncertain about having children, citing the unstable climate and the added carbon footprint of having kids as reasons.
- 65% felt their government’s response failed young people by not mitigating climate change. Sadly, of the US respondents, only 21% thought our government could be trusted.
As psychiatrist and co-author of the study, Lise van Susteren, said in an interview with Politico, “As bad as the storms are outside, the storms inside are even worse. Children don’t live in a cave. They’re more media savvy than we are. They know it’s not some campfire gone awry on the West Coast.”
When it comes to understanding climate anxiety, the kids know exactly where to lay blame, it “should not be seen as simply caused by ecological disaster;” the researchers wrote, “it is also caused by more powerful ‘others’ (adults and governments) failing to act on the threats being faced.”
This is the first time the emotional weight of climate change has been linked directly to government inaction. And as Van Susteren claims, “this intergenerational injustice, this intergenerational aggression really is something that is indescribably wrong.”
With a majority of young people around the world reporting significant emotional distress, and “a wide range of painful, complex emotions (sad, afraid, angry, powerless, helpless, guilty, ashamed, despair, hurt, grief, depressed),” the researchers concluded, “the distress of climate anxiety could be regarded as cruel, inhuman, degrading or torturous, leading to “significant, long-lasting” mental health impacts.
Let’s listen to our kids. They are the future. And as their parents, we must do everything in our power to make it safer and brighter for them.