Climate change anxiety is taking a toll on younger generations, psychologists warn

This appeared in The Millennial Source

The growing consensus that climate change is reaching a point of no return is leading to anxiety in children, psychologists have found. While eco-anxiety is also seen in adults, children who live through a devastating climate crisis are said to be especially susceptible.

In recent years, many teenage activists, including Greta Thunberg, have organized public strikes and protests to urge the world’s governments to take greater action towards addressing climate change.

Meanwhile, climate scientists continue to predict devastating consequences for humans around the globe if dramatic action isn’t taken soon.

Psychologists warn of eco-anxiety in children

In a March 2017 report, the American Psychological Association (APA) officially recognized “eco-anxiety” as a legitimate condition, defining it as “A chronic fear of environmental doom.” In the report, the APA stated, “Children and communities with few resources to deal with the impacts of climate change are those most impacted.”

Recently, Oxford psychologists Dr. Patrick Kennedy-Williams and Megan Woodard have begun hosting workshops to…