Aims

Climate change is escalating and will disproportionately affect young people. Research on the mental health consequences of worry or concerns related to climate change are so far limited. This study aims to evaluate the extent of climate change concern in young people aged 15–19, its association with various demographic factors and its impact on psychological distress and future outlook. Understanding the impact of climate concerns on young people's mental wellbeing is crucial for identifying effective measures and building resilience.

Methods

Climate concerns, psychological distress, and future outlook were measured in the 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey, Australia's largest annual population-wide survey of young people aged 15 to 19 (N = 18,800). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to map factors associated with climate concerns and assess whether climate concerns are associated with psychological distress and future outlook.

Results

One in four young people reported feeling very or extremely concerned about climate change. Climate concerns were higher among individuals identifying as female or gender diverse, or who self-reported a mental health condition. After controlling for confounding factors, we found those who were very or extremely concerned about climate change to be more likely to have high psychological distress than those not at all concerned (Relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.56–2.11), and more likely to have a negative future outlook (RRR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.27–1.81). These associations were stronger among participants who reported to be gender diverse, Indigenous or from outer-regional/remote areas.

Conclusion

This study identified associations between climate concerns, psychological distress, and future outlook among young people. Immediate attention from research and policy sectors to support climate change education, communication strategies and targeted interventions is urgently required to mitigate long-term impacts on young people's wellbeing.

中文翻译：

---

气候变化对澳大利亚年轻人的心理困扰和未来前景的影响

 目标

气候变化正在升级，将对年轻人产生不成比例的影响。迄今为止，有关气候变化相关担忧或担忧对心理健康影响的研究还很有限。本研究旨在评估15-19岁年轻人对气候变化的关注程度、其与各种人口因素的关联及其对心理困扰和未来前景的影响。了解气候问题对年轻人心理健康的影响对于确定有效措施和增强抵御能力至关重要。

 方法

2022 年澳大利亚使命青年调查衡量了气候问题、心理困扰和未来前景，这是澳大利亚针对 15 至 19 岁年轻人（N = 18,800）最大规模的年度人口调查。使用多项逻辑回归模型来绘制与气候问题相关的因素，并评估气候问题是否与心理困扰和未来前景相关。

 结果

四分之一的年轻人表示非常或极其担心气候变化。女性或性别多样化的人或自我报告心理健康状况的人对气候的担忧更高。在控），并且更有可能对未来前景持负面态度（RRR = 1.52；95% CI：1.27–1.81）。这些关联在性别多样化、土著或来自外区域/偏远地区的参与者中更为强烈。

 结论

这项研究确定了年轻人对气候问题、心理困扰和未来前景之间的关联。迫切需要研究和政策部门立即关注支持气候变化教育、沟通战略和有针对性的干预措施，以减轻对年轻人福祉的长期影响。