Filed in: Health & Wellbeing | Learning & Education | Contribution | Peers
In recent years, the issue of climate change has mobilized young people across the globe to participate in climate justice protests, campaigns, and marches, and even to lead some of the world’s largest climate action organizations, including World’s Youth for Climate Justice and Fridays For Future. Research shows that young people are particularly concerned about and conscious of climate change and uniquely inspired to find solutions, make a difference, and participate in climate action.
Adolescence is a period of significant brain and social development, when we are particularly sensitive to the world around us. This sensitivity can create challenges to young people’s mental health and well-being when they experience or are exposed to information and images about climate change. But these changes can also increase youth’s motivation to participate in climate action, which can mitigate these negative effects while providing an opportunity for them to fill key developmental needs and become leaders in their communities.
During adolescence, roughly the ages of 10 to 25, physical, social, and cognitive changes related to our development heighten our ability and willingness to contribute to others, our sensitivity to social rewards, and our emotional responses. All of these changes can increase young people’s response to the negative psychological effects of climate change.
“There is good news and bad news, the bad news is that climate change is negatively impacting young people,” said Larissa Dooley, the director of research and programs at the Climate Mental Health Network.
Climate change has been shown to affect mental health and well-being in adolescents and cause what some call “eco-anxiety”.
“Overall, 85 percent of young people said they were worried about climate change, with 58 percent being very or extremely worried,” said Larissa. “Thirty-eight percent said that their feelings about climate change negatively impacted their daily life or their ability to function.”
The young people today are the first to come of age during a time when the climate crisis is both highly reported and causing publicized global disasters. Information about the climate crisis, easy access to climate change news, and the increased sensitivity to the world around us during adolescence are all factors that may make the climate crisis especially distressing to young people.
“This is one of the major issues of their generation, of their time,” said Andrew Fuligni, the co-executive director of the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent.
Merlot Ghadoushi, a member of the Youth Scientific Council on Adolescence, is a recent graduate of the Palisades Charter High School, which burned down during the Los Angeles wildfires in January of 2025. In response to the wildfires, Merlot said she saw direct and indirect effects of this disaster, which was made worse by climate change.
“It’s impacted our mental health quite a bit,” says Merlot, “but right now it’s important and crucial that we continue to support each other.”
There are proven tools to help support young people facing the effects of climate change. In fact, the Climate Mental Health Network recently released a Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators to help adolescents build emotional resilience and regulation skills to manage climate-related emotions.
“The good news,” said Larissa, “is that we also see some unique opportunities for young people to build emotional resilience and to connect with their community out in the real world.”
Climate action is one way that young people can mitigate the negative effects of climate change on well-being. Research suggests that taking action can promote positive feelings and buffer the mental health impacts of climate change, and higher levels of eco-anxiety increase adolescents’ motivation to take climate action.
Sander Thomaes, a professor and the vice dean of research and impact at Utrecht University, leads a research project called GREENTEENS, which aims to understand the psychological factors that drive eco-friendly behavior in adolescence and, then, encourage this behavior.
“I want to emphasize that young people are not responsible for climate change, nor are they responsible for coming up with solutions,” said Sander. But, “many adolescents experience a need to contribute positively to the world around them, and acting on climate change is one way to do that.”
Sander’s research found that although there is an increased motivation to contribute during adolescence, using this motivation for eco-friendly behavior can only be unlocked under certain circumstances.
“Young people will often refrain from engaging in eco-friendly behavior if they do not really see how that behavior is relevant to what they deeply care about in their everyday lives,” said Sander. “For example, their need for autonomy or their need to be respected by peers.”
In one study conducted by the GREENTEENS project, a group of adolescents received traditional climate change information, and another group received the same climate change information but with the emphasis that young people were increasingly taking climate action and these actions were respected by their peers. After receiving the information, both groups were given the choice between a snack from a well-known brand and a snack from a more sustainably produced, eco-friendly brand. The group that received information that emphasized how young people were getting involved and finding a respected role was more likely to choose the sustainable, eco-friendly snack option.
Importantly, these results were lasting. Even four weeks after the experiment, adolescents in the second group were more likely to choose the eco-friendly snack. These results were found for youth in both the Netherlands and China.
This research suggests that aligning climate education with adolescents’ developmental needs and values can unlock their motivation to participate in climate action.
Once young people are motivated to participate in climate action, adults can encourage this behavior by providing opportunities and scaffolding to make a real, positive difference. Helping young people participate in climate action is not only good for positive development, but also for their mental health and well-being.
It is important to note, however, that climate action with others is a better buffer against negative mental health. According to a coalition of researchers led by the Yale School of Public Health, collective action, but not individual action, was a buffer for negative psychological impacts of climate change on mental health.
Encouraging, scaffolding, and creating opportunities for young people to participate in collective climate action with their peers can be a powerful way for them to build their sense of agency and see positive effects on mental health.
“When our young people want to do something, particularly about climate change, rather than dismissing it or shortening the conversation, open the conversation and see it as an opportunity to support them,” said Andrew.
It is important for everyone to recognize the widespread physical and psychological effects of climate change on adolescents and give young people the support they need to build key emotional regulation and resiliency skills that help them cope with these intense and valid feelings. We know that taking action against climate change, particularly collective action, can tap into adolescents’ heightened motivation to make a positive difference in the world. This kind of participation can also fill key developmental needs like cultivating meaning and purpose through contribution, and finding a respected role among peers, adults, and their broader communities. Young people already want to make an impact, but it is up to programs, policies, and educators to give them hope that they can make a difference and create the world they want to live in.
_350_175_80_c1.jpg)
Early adolescence is a critical window of opportunity to set up young people for a healthy and thriving adulthood. This month, we talked to a leading expert in early adolescent development, Dr. Ron Dahl, about what exactly early adolescence is and why it is so crucial to support young people as they go through this period of development.
_350_197_80_c1.jpg)
Friends have a new importance to us as we enter adolescence. During adolescence, we become more sensitive to positive feelings from belonging, acceptance, and mattering to others. Forming friendships becomes more important to us, and is necessary for healthy development. Hear from experts, practitioners, and young people as they discuss the importance of peer relationships during adolescence. This post is based on the Love in Adolescence: The Importance of Friendships and Platonic Love webinar discussion.
