Climate change and mental health A summary of the policy brief on ‘Promoting mental health in a changing climate: children and young people as a priority population group’
MS HASINI GUNASIRI PhD Candidate, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University
1. Climate change related mental health issues in children and young people
having directly experienced climate change related
Climate change related mental health impacts is
met post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria.3
a concern of all humans, but children and young people are particularly vulnerable. Emerging evidence suggests that direct (e.g. physical injury, respiratory illness, and mental health trauma associated with extreme weather events1,2) and indirect (social and economic disruptions caused
weather events and among them, one in four people Among those who have not had a direct experience of a climate related event, pre-trauma symptoms were more common in younger age groups.3 According to the 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey of 18,800 respondents,4 25.5% of young people were personally extremely or very concerned about
by climate change, e.g. food and water insecurity2)
climate change.
experiences of climate change-related extreme
1.1. Eco-emotions and mental health issues
events and uncertainty about their future can lead to negative emotions in children and young people. In 2020, 54% of the Australian population reported
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The Health Advocate • NOVEMBER 2023
There is a range of eco-emotions and mental health issues related to climate change in children and
