The Interplay between Social and Ecological Determinants of Mental Health for Children and Youth in the Climate Crisis.

Maya K Gislason,Stephanie M Witham,Angel M Kennedy

doi:10.3390/ijerph18094573

Abstract

Children and youth are showing increasing levels of mental health distress due to the climate crisis, characterized by feelings of sadness, guilt, changes in sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, solastalgia, and disconnection from land. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between climate change and children and youth’s mental health, we conducted a rapid review and a thematic analysis of the results in NVivo 12. Our findings show that children and youth experience a plethora of direct and indirect effects from climate change and this impacts their mental wellbeing in diverse and complex ways. Young people also have varied perceptions of climate change based on their social locations and many are dealing with feelings of immense worry and eco-anxiety. The mental health impacts of climate change on children/youth are tied to Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) but also need to be understood in relation to the Ecological Determinants of Health (EDoH). Through an eco-social lens, this paper explores these conceptual issues and uses them to provide a framework for understanding the interplay of social and ecological determinants of mental health for children/youth.

Highlights

In the current historical moment, a contradiction is arising where generally people are living longer and healthier lives; for the youngest generations, the assumptions of unending economic growth, social stability, and increasing health and wellbeing across the life-course are not experienced ubiquitously
In order to produce research which builds an evidence-based understanding of chilIn order to produce research which an evidence-baseddriven understanding of children and youth’s mental health in the agebuilds of Anthropocene-driven climate change, dren and youth’s mental health in the age of Anthropocene-driven driven climate change, it is important to understand how children/youth are being affected generally
This research highlights theoretical insights and conceptual frameworks that can be This research highlights theoretical insights and conceptual frameworks can be used by researchers, educators, practitioners, parents, and policythat makers who are interested used by researchers, educators, practitioners, parents, and policy makers who are interin learning how to integrate considerations of youth and children’s mental health into ested in learningclimate how tochange integrate considerations youth and children’s mental health responses

Summary

Introduction

In the current historical moment, a contradiction is arising where generally people are living longer and healthier lives; for the youngest generations, the assumptions of unending economic growth, social stability, and increasing health and wellbeing across the life-course are not experienced ubiquitously. It is predicted that without accelerated intervention, climate change will impact the health of people at every stage of their lives and in both short- (e.g., health care visits) and long-term (e.g., lost potential) ways [3]. These concerns are further exacerbated given that children/youth are developing both psychologically and physically and more susceptible to environmental elements than adults [4], in part due to the time they spend playing outside in close contact with nature [3]. It is posited that impacts from climate change events start before birth when birthing bodies

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