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Nov 16 min read

Children and Climate change




Response, coping strategies, practice approach, additional resources


Children’s emotional responses to climate change


Surveys show that most children know about climate change and are worried about its impact on their future. Studies indicate that climate change-related worry is common in Australia, with estimates ranging between one third to 89% of pre-teens (10–13 years old) worrying about climate change or the environment.  Surveys of Australian adolescents (15–19 years old) have also found that mental health and the environment are among the top four most important issues identified by young people (Joshi, 2024).


Research also suggests that younger people are more likely to experience climate change-related distress compared to older populations.  Some researchers have suggested that worry about climate change stems not just from its immediate effects but also relates to individuals’ concerns about their future (i.e. the existential nature of the problem), which may be of particular concern for young people.  Unfortunately adults can be dismissive towards young peoples’ concerns about climate change and young people may not discuss everything they know about climate change with the adults in their lives.  For these reasons, it is important to consider climate change-related worry when working with children and young people (Joshi, 2024).


Even for those who have not yet experienced a climate disaster first-hand, common emotional reactions include:

  • fear and anxiety over what the future will bring

  • distress, grief, and a sense of loss over loved places and animals that are being lost

  • anger and frustration at the adult generation, especially decision-makers, for causing the issue but doing so little to address it

  • helplessness – feeling there is nothing they can do themselves to stop climate change

  • despair and hopelessness – believing that decision-makers will not take the urgent action that is needed.


These feelings have been dubbed ‘eco-anxiety’. It is important to recognise that while they are rational responses and can motivate action, for some children these feelings can be debilitating, leading to reactions like nightmares, numbness, and despair (Sanson, 2020).  Joshi (2024) adds other climate related worries young people may experience:

  • worries about the threat to the planet including pollution and loss of biodiversity

  • concern for their own future and existential crisis (i.e. questioning their own purpose and meaning in life)

  • concerns about people in other countries where climate change may have a greater impact than in their own country.


The outcomes of emotional responses depend on the young person’s style of coping. A Swedish study suggests children exhibit three key coping strategies when experiencing climate-change related worry:

  • Problem-focused coping: trying to do something about climate change by searching for information about how they can address the problem.

  • Emotion-focused coping: finding ways to minimise the negative emotions that arise in response to a problem or de-emphasise the problem. This can be through denial, distancing oneself from the problem, distraction and avoidance. This was found to be the most common coping strategy in children and adolescents.

  • Meaning-focused coping: finding positive aspects of a difficult situation and a sense of hope for the future while acknowledging the problem of climate change. Meaning-focused coping was found to be associated with positive affect, life satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviour. Other studies have also found that pro-environmental behaviour and developing a positive image of the future is associated with better wellbeing and sense of meaning in life (Joshi, 2024).


Different groups of young people may have different experiences of climate change-related worry. For example, distress related to climate change among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and Canadian Indigenous youth is notable because of their close connection to land and its role in their social and emotional wellbeing. There is also research to suggest that girls have more climate concerns than boys, but that they also experience higher levels of hope or optimism (Joshi, 2024).


How can professionals and parents respond to children’s concerns?


Four broad strategies can be adopted to help children manage their feelings around climate change and cope effectively (Joshi, 2024; Sanson, 2020):

1.   Listen and respond to their feelings and concerns by:

  • creating times and places for children to share their feelings safely

  • recognising their feelings as valid (e.g. ‘Yes, I can understand that you feel scared, it’s a big problem.’)

  • avoiding false reassurances but give messages of realistic hope (see below).


2.   Find out what they know and build their understanding by:

  • responding to children’s questions honestly (while still taking their age into account)

  • correcting misunderstandings – some children have exaggerated fears, such as ‘the whole world is going to catch on fire’

  • helping them to learn basic climate science, emphasising solutions

  • encouraging schools to provide climate change education.


3.     Build ‘realistic hope’, i.e. acknowledge that humanity is facing a huge and urgent problem, but that it is still possible to prevent climate change from worsening. Adults can :

  • explain that people already know how to stop carbon emissions and draw down the excess carbon already in the atmosphere

  • show children how lots of good people are working on the problem – from scientists and engineers to farmers, communities, and activists

  • give them examples of the big problems we have solved before, such as abolishing slavery and apartheid, winning women the right to vote, and saving the Franklin River

  • build their sense of efficacy and control by showing them how many people, working together, solved these big problems.


4.   Build their capacity to take action by:

  • treating children not just as victims of climate change, but also as problem-solvers with a right to be involved

  • viewing children not only as consumers, but also as citizens

  • modelling environmentally responsible behaviour and expect children to do the same

  • building children’s active citizenship skills by, for example, helping them to make posters, write letters, visit their MPs, join climate action groups, and take action themselves if they wish to.


Useful resources 

(Joshi, 2024; Sanson, 2020)


This information sheet provides guidance for parents on responding to climate change, including ideas about how they can support children’s coping and resilience.


This information sheet provides guidance and ideas about how parents can help their children to thrive and adapt in the face of climate change.


The climate change empowerment handbook by the Australian Psychological Society (https://psychology.org.au/for-the-public/psychology-topics/climate-change-psychology/climate-change)

This handbook outlines psychological strategies to help people engage effectively with the challenge of climate change.


Sanson, A.V., Van Horne, J., & Burke, S. E. L. (2019). Responding to the impacts of the climate crisis on children and youth. Child Development Perspectives, 13 (4), 201–207. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12342.  https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdep.12342 


Sanson, A.V. & Burke, S. E. L. (2019). Climate change and children: An issue of intergenerational justice. In N. Balvin & D. Christie (Eds), Children and peace: From research to action. New York: Springer Peace Psychology Book Series.  https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-22176-8_21 


How to support children’s wellbeing in the face of climate change describes children’s emotional responses to climate change and how practitioners and parents can respond to children’s concerns.  https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/how-to-support-childrens-wellbeing-in-the-face-of-climate-change/?audience=practitioner 


Talking to children about natural disasters, traumatic events, or worries about the future is a video that introduces ways for parents and carers to manage media coverage of traumatic events, and talk to children about their worries and fears.  https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/talking-to-children-about-natural-disasters-traumatic-events-or-worries-about-the-future/?audience=practitioner 


Supporting family and child mental health in the face of severe weather events and disasters is a webinar co-produced with Child Family Community Australia. It explores the complex interplay of factors that can support or disrupt the wellbeing of whole families following a severe weather event or disaster, and how these factors impact infant and child mental health.  https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/supporting-family-and-child-mental-health-in-the-face-of-severe-weather-events-and-disasters/?audience=practitioner 


Supporting primary students following a disaster or community trauma is a course developed by Emerging Minds in partnership with Beyond Blue, Be You. It provides a practical framework and tips for supporting children in the immediate aftermath, short term and long term following a disaster or community trauma. The course also includes preparedness skills and knowledge practitioners can use in daily practice and programs.  https://learning.emergingminds.com.au/course/supporting-primary-students-following-a-disaster-or-community-trauma 


Promoting mental health in a changing climate: Children and young people as a priority population group by the Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research provides a summary of research about children and young people’s mental health as it relates to climate change. It provides recommendations for research, practice and policy.  https://apo.org.au/node/323572 


A conversation about … climate change and mental health – part 3 by the Mental Health Professionals Network is a podcast that discusses how practitioners can support young people who have concerns about the future of humanity due to climate change.  https://mhpn.org.au/podcasts/a-conversation-about-climate-change-and-mental-health-part-3/ 


References


Joshi, A. (2024).  Climate change-related worry in children and young people: What does the research evidence say?  Australian Institute of Family Studies.  https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/climate-change-related-worry-in-children-and-young-people 


Sanson, A.  (2020).  How to support children’s wellbeing in the face of climate change.  Emerging Minds.  Retrieved from https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/how-to-support-childrens-wellbeing-in-the-face-of-climate-change/

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