‘Obsessive about checking weather apps’: How eco-anxiety is impacting young Australians
Worry about the weather is developing into full-blown eco-anxiety in young Australians – and it could soon be a diagnosable mental health condition.
Environment
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Eco-anxiety could soon be a diagnosable mental health condition, as fear of natural disasters and environmental doom becomes increasingly common among young people the world over.
Two-thirds of Australians under 25 already report feeling anxious about climate change.
Psychologist Dr Kimberley O’Brien said eco-anxiety was not included in the current edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM-5) – which is the main guide for mental health providers – but many expect it will be added to the next edition.
“It’s like internet gaming addiction is possibly going to be included in the next DSM-5 because we know it’s an issue,” the co-founder of the Quirky Kid Clinic said.
“The Australia Psychological Society (now has) an interest group for psychologists that are more aware of climate anxiety.
“It’s not just me getting these referrals, it’s something a lot of professionals are experiencing.”
Dr O’Brien said eco-anxiety was most common among children in upper primary school and high school.
“It’s in how kids respond to what they see in the media,” she said.
“After a tsunami in Japan, there was an increase in eco-anxiety, bushfires also brought anxious kids worried about the environment.”
Research from the University of Bath in 2021 revealed 65 per cent of 1000 surveyed Australians aged 16 to 25 felt anxious about climate change – while 60 per cent felt helpless and 40 per cent felt depressed.
Three in four (76 per cent) believed the “future is frightening”, half believed “humanity is doomed”, and 43 per cent said they were “hesitant to have children” because of their negative beliefs about climate change.
This child-free sentiment has continued in recent years.
A 2023 survey by data company Dynata for News Corp revealed 49 per cent of Generation Z respondents (age 18 to 26) without children were hesitant to start a family because “our planet can’t handle the people it already has”.
This was the same for 44 per cent of Millennials (age 27 to 41).
An exclusive brief prepared for News Corp by the Monash University Climate Change Communication Research Hub revealed eco-anxiety was often linked to personal experiences with environmental disasters, such as among survivors of the Black Summer bush fires and recent flooding events.
It’s also common among workers and volunteers in environmental fields who do not have an escape from climate change discussion.
“Frontline workers like firefighters, wildlife carers and farmers are also at particularly high risk of eco-anxiety, as well as depression, and other mental health issues,” according to the report.
It found that people experiencing eco-anxiety could also pass on feelings of grief, guilt, anger and shame to those around them “because our emotions, like colds, are contagious”.
What to do if your child has eco-anxiety
1 Talk to their school
Dr O’Brien said some kids became “obsessive about checking weather apps” on rainy days in case there was a chance of storms.
“Talk to the teacher about some of those triggers,” she said.
“Maybe (the child) can be allowed to talk to a parent or have time out in the music room where it’s soundproof.
“It’s almost like a pet dog scared of thunder or lightening – they will want to be under that lounge hiding away from the storm but that can be embarrassing in a classroom.”
She advised supporting the child to alleviate fears then reducing dependency on checking weather apps over time.
“If there are declines in academic performance because they are quite anxious, they should see a psychologist,” she said.
2 Avoid visual media
Children under seven should not be exposed to news and social media that shows video such as extreme weather, according to Dr O’Brien.
“(Information) has more impact when it’s visual,” she said.
“It’s best to not have kids exposed to those things.”
3 Show they are not alone
Dr O’Brien advised letting anxious children know they are not the only ones feeling this way.
“There is general anxiety and depression that we are not doing enough (about climate change) and not fast enough,” she said.
“It’s that sense of helplessness, (thinking) ‘I am alarmed but no one else seems to be’.
“It’s important to talk it out (and) normalise it – that’s an important first step.
“Often people think they are the only ones who have experienced this.”
She recommended reassuring children that they are not going to be left at school if there is a life-threatening storm, and letting them know which teacher they can talk to if they are worried about the weather.
4 Work towards a solution
Parents can help their children feel heard by joining climate action groups or activities as a family.
Dr O’Brien said children’s books were also available that showed how small changes make a difference and these could be used as bed time stories.
“Making kids feel like they are part of the solution is very therapeutic,” she said.
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Originally published as ‘Obsessive about checking weather apps’: How eco-anxiety is impacting young Australians
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