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Chapter 9 - A Research Agenda for Young People’s Psychological Response to Climate Change

from Part I - Conceptual Foundations of Climate Distress in Young People

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2024

By
Joshua R. Wortzel
Edited by
Elizabeth Haase  and
Kelsey Hudson
Elizabeth Haase
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Reno
Kelsey Hudson
Affiliation:
Climate Psychology Alliance North America
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Summary

This chapter provides a research agenda for pediatric climate distress. It is structured into five domains. First, it reviews the importance of delineating among existing definitions of climate distress, including distinguishing between normal and pathological stress responses and integrating concepts from existing anxiety literature. Second, it discusses the importance of researching the epidemiology of climate distress, including developing and validating measurement tools, identifying young people most vulnerable and resilient, and considering the effects of parental mental health and social determinants of health on youths’ psychological responses. Third, it highlights the need to explore the psychological meaning and sequelae of climate change, including moral disengagement, dialectics of climate distress, and moral outrage. Fourth, it points to conventional and novel interventions to address climate distress that require further investigation. Fifth, it reviews the need to assess how climate change may impact young peoples’ psychological distress on a biological level. It concludes with recommendations for how to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and increase funding for this research.

Keywords

climate changeclimate emotion syndromesyoung peopleresearch agendaepidemiologypsychological consequencesinterventionsinterdisciplinary researchfunding
Type
Chapter
Information
Climate Change and Youth Mental Health
Multidisciplinary Perspectives
 , pp. 168 - 186
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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