A recently released report by the American Psychiatric Association, in collaboration with ecoAmerica, underscores the profound impact of climate change on the mental health of young individuals. The report emphasizes how climate-induced environmental events, such as weather disasters, extreme heat, and declining air quality, can trigger or exacerbate mental health issues among children and teenagers.
Natural disasters have been found to contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in these age groups, according to the report. Longer-term challenges like heatwaves, drought, and poor air quality can elevate the risk of various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, aggression, cognitive impairment, and more.
Dr. Dennis P. Stolle, the Senior Director of Applied Psychology at the American Psychiatric Association, expressed concern about the psychological harm inflicted on the nation’s children and youth. He stressed the urgency of addressing these issues, stating that they cannot be deferred but must be dealt with immediately as a society.
This report, which was released on Wednesday, is a follow-up to a 2021 study conducted jointly by the American Psychiatric Association and ecoAmerica. It is part of a series of studies dating back to 2014 that compile and synthesize existing research on climate change, mental health, and youth development, rather than presenting new experiments.
Issues Emerge Before Birth
According to Dr. Sue Clayton, the lead author of the report and a professor of psychology at the College of Wooster, children are more susceptible to mental health consequences following climate change-related weather events because they may lack the coping mechanisms that adults possess.
Furthermore, if a parent experiences stress due to environmental events such as extreme heat or wildfires, it can negatively impact the mental health of their children. Dr. Clayton noted that parental stress and concerns can affect a child’s mental health, explaining that experiencing trauma at an early age can have lifelong implications for emotional health and overall well-being.
The report asserts that the impact on mental health can begin before a child is born. Prenatal exposure to weather disasters, high temperatures, air pollution, and maternal anxiety can heighten the child’s risk of various behavioral and developmental issues, such as anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental delays, low self-control, and psychiatric disorders.
The consequences can have long-lasting effects on nervous system development and are often irreversible, according to Clayton. Infants and young children may experience anxiety, sleep disturbances, PTSD, disrupted cognitive development, and major depressive disorder as a result of weather events linked to climate change and exposure to news reports about them.
Adolescents, the report further notes, are not only susceptible to the direct mental health effects of climate change-related natural disasters, such as trauma and anxiety, but can also be indirectly affected. Weather events, heatwaves, and pollution can disrupt children’s lives, causing class cancellations, damage to their homes, or food insecurity, thereby increasing their vulnerability to mental health issues.
