CLIMATE CHANGE

SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE Tampa Bay Times

According to a report from the Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, climate change is signi cantly impacting mental health, with clear evidence for severe distress following extreme weather events.

That can lead parents to wrestle with how to explain climate change to kids without making them unduly anxious.

“It is really important to take children’s concerns seriously and not to pooh-pooh their fear and say, ‘There is nothing to worry about,’” said Dr. Judith B. Bryant, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida. “Try to address their questions factually as best you can, but also calmly take in their emotional cues by not dismissing their concerns. But don’t amplify them.”

The next step is to show them ways they can help, which can give kids a better sense of control, Bryant said.

“As with any disaster or other weather event, point to the fact that there are helpers, experts and scientists who are working on this, who are addressing these problems,” Bryant said.

Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein of the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s

Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, said parents should be alert to signs of distress in their kids, such as becoming withdrawn, not wanting to go outside or not wanting to separate from a trusted adult.

Seek advice from a pediatrician or trusted medical adviser for ways to get outside help,

Katzenstein said.

Depending on the child’s age and development level, Katzenstein said there are a number of ways families can make kids feel empowered through action. She has noticed that older kids — from middle-school- to college-age — seem to have the most anxiety about climate change, but they have the most options.

They should be encouraged to write a letter, show up at an event, organize a recycling drive at school and take part in the family’s own plan to reduce its carbon footprint, she said.

Organizations like the Rainforest Alliance have guides like “10 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Save Rainforests,” which include ideas like using less paper and helping parents and teachers reuse paper instead of throwing it out.

You can also talk about success stories, like the time in 1987, when 197 countries agreed through the Montreal Protocol to ban ozonedepleting substances called CFCs used in refrigerators and aerosols.

That successfully averted the disaster of an ultraviolet-bombarded Earth. Ozone levels are projected to return to 1980 levels by 2032 because of this protocol.

“Information is power,” Katzenstein said. “It gives our kids some control and a sense of making a difference and an impact.”