NEW RESEARCH from the University of Reading suggests young people with symptoms of depression are more pessimistic about climate change.
This in turn makes them more vulnerable to climate-related mental distress.
The findings come amid the university hosting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for two international workshops on its Whiteknights campus this week, from February 10-12.
The study, which interviewed young people aged 18-25, found that while climate change is widely associated with distress, those experiencing depression reported greater hopelessness about the future.
The research, published in The Journal of Climate Change and Health, showed that young people think a balance of hope and fear in climate messaging is needed.
It involved in-depth interviews with 27 young people aged 18-25 from the UK university student population, and revealed how young people understand climate change, ranging from weather changes to natural disasters.
Those experiencing high depression symptoms reported more pessimism.
Study participants placed responsibility for action on climate change across society as a whole, from families and educators to businesses, governments and organisations, stressing the need for collaboration.
Professor Ciara McCabe, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Reading who led the research, said: “Youth mental health is in crisis, and climate change may further increase the risk of anxiety and depression among young people.
“Our research shows that those already experiencing depression symptoms are particularly vulnerable to climate pessimism.
“Understanding how mental health shapes young people’s responses to climate change is crucial for developing interventions that protect wellbeing as well as the planet.”
