Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience
Abstract Background Climate change has been shown to have long-term effects on mental health, yet, to date, there have been few studies on how children and adolescents experience and respond to ecological changes and how and why they engage in climate action. We explored empirically young people’s v...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-022-00551-1 |
| _version_ | 1828083509362688000 |
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| author | Isaiah Thomas Andrés Martin Antoine Wicker Laelia Benoit |
| author_facet | Isaiah Thomas Andrés Martin Antoine Wicker Laelia Benoit |
| author_sort | Isaiah Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Climate change has been shown to have long-term effects on mental health, yet, to date, there have been few studies on how children and adolescents experience and respond to ecological changes and how and why they engage in climate action. We explored empirically young people’s views about climate change and how distinct cultural contexts influence individual climate action. Methods We invited children and adolescents (ages 7 to 18) and their caregivers from the general population in the United States and France to participate in semi-structured focus groups. We recruited 74 participants, 39 in the U.S. (33 children and adolescents, 6 parents) and 35 in France (32 children and adolescents, 3 parents). Focus groups with participants centered on their emotions, beliefs, and actions around climate change. We analyzed the focus group data and developed themes via grounded theory and symbolic interactionist approaches. Results Many participants described experiencing anger, hopelessness, guilt, and sadness in response to climate change, and a smaller number endorsed significant anxiety symptoms; many described frustration about needing to fix the mistakes of earlier generations. Younger participants frequently misunderstood the purpose of their parents’ eco-conscious behaviors unless they were provided with age-appropriate explanations. Participants described a spectrum of experiences when trying to discuss climate change with peers and family, ranging from genuine support to apathy to hostility. Between the two samples, U.S. participants experienced more conflict with adults about climate change than French participants, but French participants described a greater lack of political agency compared to U.S. participants. Participants in both samples expressed a relatively balanced view of climate action, recognizing the significance of individual actions while acknowledging the limits of their power in the face of systemic issues. Some found hope and empowerment through climate action and building communities around it. Conclusion Discussing with children and adolescents what adults are doing to mitigate climate change can provide reassurance, model prosocial behaviors, and inspire their own investment in climate action. Adults seeking to support the psychological well-being of young people should both support their concerns and actions around climate change and create avenues for young people to meaningfully engage in climate action. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:08:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99b985a43ac144798679fee6e72a1294 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1753-2000 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:08:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-99b985a43ac144798679fee6e72a12942023-01-01T12:13:14ZengBMCChild and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health1753-20002022-12-0116111310.1186/s13034-022-00551-1Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilienceIsaiah Thomas0Andrés Martin1Antoine Wicker2Laelia Benoit3Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityYale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityXavier Bichat School of Medicine, University of Paris VIIYale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityAbstract Background Climate change has been shown to have long-term effects on mental health, yet, to date, there have been few studies on how children and adolescents experience and respond to ecological changes and how and why they engage in climate action. We explored empirically young people’s views about climate change and how distinct cultural contexts influence individual climate action. Methods We invited children and adolescents (ages 7 to 18) and their caregivers from the general population in the United States and France to participate in semi-structured focus groups. We recruited 74 participants, 39 in the U.S. (33 children and adolescents, 6 parents) and 35 in France (32 children and adolescents, 3 parents). Focus groups with participants centered on their emotions, beliefs, and actions around climate change. We analyzed the focus group data and developed themes via grounded theory and symbolic interactionist approaches. Results Many participants described experiencing anger, hopelessness, guilt, and sadness in response to climate change, and a smaller number endorsed significant anxiety symptoms; many described frustration about needing to fix the mistakes of earlier generations. Younger participants frequently misunderstood the purpose of their parents’ eco-conscious behaviors unless they were provided with age-appropriate explanations. Participants described a spectrum of experiences when trying to discuss climate change with peers and family, ranging from genuine support to apathy to hostility. Between the two samples, U.S. participants experienced more conflict with adults about climate change than French participants, but French participants described a greater lack of political agency compared to U.S. participants. Participants in both samples expressed a relatively balanced view of climate action, recognizing the significance of individual actions while acknowledging the limits of their power in the face of systemic issues. Some found hope and empowerment through climate action and building communities around it. Conclusion Discussing with children and adolescents what adults are doing to mitigate climate change can provide reassurance, model prosocial behaviors, and inspire their own investment in climate action. Adults seeking to support the psychological well-being of young people should both support their concerns and actions around climate change and create avenues for young people to meaningfully engage in climate action.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-022-00551-1 |
| spellingShingle | Isaiah Thomas Andrés Martin Antoine Wicker Laelia Benoit Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| title | Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| title_full | Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| title_fullStr | Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| title_short | Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| title_sort | understanding youths concerns about climate change a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-022-00551-1 |
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