World Mental Health Day: The climate crisis is destroying young people’s wellbeing
According to research from the Mental Health Foundation, the worsening climate situation has led to a large number of people experiencing ‘eco anxiety’ – a chronic fear of environmental doom.
As the UK government have recently made the decision to hit the brakes on certain net zero targets, Michael Samuel MBE, chair of the board of trustees for Anna Freud – the world-leading mental health charity for children and families, claims this World Mental health Day should be taken as an opportunity to address the growing climate issues that are severely impacting individuals wellbeing.
Today, the 10th October, marks World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme is ‘mental health is a universal human right.’ While it’s brilliant that we recognise mental health as an unequivocal right for everyone, it’s worth noting that it was only last year that the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring a healthy environment and a stable climate one too. With this in mind, let’s remember that as we celebrate mental health being universal, having a liveable, breathable planet is not just a necessity for our environmental wellbeing but also our overall mental health.
Environmental damage can provoke an ungodly amount of negative feelings including grief, fear, and stress and, in the contemporary context of rising temperatures, extreme weather events and mass deforestation, climate anxiety is on the rise. As Chair of Anna Freud, a children’s mental health charity, I hear a lot about the impacts that the pessimistic emotions triggered by global warming are having on young people.
As many as 60% of young people feel very or extremely worried about climate change and 45% say these feelings negatively affect their daily lives. This anxiety often stems from feelings of hopelessness in the face of the climate crisis which is particularly concerning given that things are only set to get worse as we stray further from our climate targets.
So, what can we do about it?
First and foremost, we need to help young people have a positive and enduring relationship with their natural environment. The 2021 Children’s People and Nature Survey for England found that the vast majority of children agreed that being in nature made them very happy, but it also showed that they spend less time outdoors as they get older.
Being in nature offers a huge array of benefits for health and well-being, and this has been demonstrated through programmes like Green Social Prescribing (GSP). This scheme enables people to improve their mental health by engaging in nature-based activities and is an approach championed by experts across the globe.
The UK government’s two-year GSP Programme was launched in 2021 at seven sites in England and the interim findings have already shown positive improvements in mental health and wellbeing as well as strong engagement within communities experiencing high levels of social inequalities. It’s also important to note that these benefits are not just for people living in rural areas but for those in cities too who can access natural spaces through public parks, allotments, or community gardens.
In addition, warranting young people to understand climate change can help to address some of their anxieties around it. The government recently announced its strategy to become the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030. This is particularly encouraging as one of its core aims is to prepare all young people for a world impacted by climate change through learning and practical experience. Young people want solutions-focused climate change education, opportunities to take climate action, and for mental health to be integrated into learning about the climate crisis.
Knowledge is power and, in this case, understanding climate change can be empowering for those who feel helpless to its effects. There is a high demand for better education around climate change from both students and teachers who often feel that they are not teaching about the ecological crisis in a meaningful and relevant way. By equipping teachers with the right tools, we can take a proactive approach to supporting our children’s mental health.
Finally, we need to emphasise to young people that, even though we face a monumental green challenge, their actions can help to make a difference. Establishing a connection between young people and nature is key to reducing their climate anxieties but so is encouraging them to do their part to protect it, and this kind of action can take many forms. From campaigning to joining conservation activity groups and anything in between, the key is finding ways to place young people in positions of agency and encouraging them to get involved in the solution rather than remaining passive observers.
Speaking personally, I have always loved the outdoors. To me, nature is a balm and I find just walking and observing nature to be particularly soothing in stressful times. In terms of how I like to contribute, something I have enjoyed doing since I was young is planting trees of all shapes and sizes. There is something very special about planting a tree and seeing it grow and blossom. If we can inspire the next generation by encouraging the planting of trees and other positive, tangible activities, we will not only boost the environment but strengthen young people’s mental health.
Ultimately, we need to help children and young people not by doing things for them, but by changing the systems around them to offer greater opportunities for action. We are in charge of the systems they live within. Being imaginative about how to make them more active within these systems will help their mental health and enforce their unassailable right for a safe living world.
So, whilst we celebrate mental health being a human right, we also need to be realistic about the relationship between our natural environment and mental wellbeing and find positive, proactive ways to protect both.
By encouraging children’s interaction with nature, providing meaningful opportunities for them to be a part of solution-focused activities, and transforming climate-based education to ensure it sits within a whole school approach to mental health, we can help to proactively address the escalating climate anxiety in young people.
Images: Markus Spiske, Michael Samuel and Markus Spiske
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