Assessment of Climate Change Anxiety in High School Youths of Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change anxiety refers to negative cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and functional responses to experiences of climate change and has implications on mental health. The current study sought to determine how climate change anxiety relates to cognitive-emotional and functional impairments as well as with experience of climate change and behavioural engagement in youths. The study surveyed 388 youths (aged 13-24 years) in high schools in Kwale County, Kenya. Data were analysed in XLSTAT software using Pearson's correlation and considered significant for values of p ≤ 0.05. Over 60 % of the youths had more than "Sometimes" suffered cognitive-emotional impairment, while 63 % were more than "Sometimes" inflicted with functional impairment. Additionally, 61 % of the respondents more than "Sometimes" reported having had a climate change experience. However, 71 % of the youths were more than "Sometimes" engaged in climate change behavioural activities. There were no significant gender differences in the scores. Cognitive-emotional impairment (M = 2.507, SD = 1.267) was significantly (P = 0.0048) associated with behavioural engagement in climate change (M = 3.019, SD = 1.403). Youths attending day schools scored significantly (P = 0.022) higher in functional impairment (M = 2.897, SD = 1.182) than students in boarding schools (M = 2.535, SD = 1.395). Youths aged 13-17 years were substantially more affected by climate change anxiety than those aged 18-24 years. This study identifies a population at risk with high exposure and vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change. The study suggests the need for policies to address climate change anxiety in youths in schools and the use of the youths' pro-environmental behavioural engagements in climate change to improve their adaptive capacity