Healthy lives
Climate change: helping families address their fears for the future
Research by Dr Jessica Jackson will inform support for parents and children facing the emotional challenges of climate change.
The past ten years (2015-2024) are the warmest ever measured, and global temperatures are expected to remain at record levels in the next five years, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Many parents are feeling deeply worried, not just for themselves, but for their children, who face the stress and uncertainty of inheriting a planet in crisis.
A research study at the University of Nottingham is one of the first to look at how parents’ climate anxiety - a sense of fear, worry, or tension linked to climate change - is connected to their children’s thoughts and feelings about the issue and its impact on their lives.
A survey of 10,000 young people in 10 countries, published in the Lancet, found that 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change, with 84% at least moderately worried; 74% of UK adults were very or somewhat worried about climate change (Office for National Statistics, 2022). Research into climate change anxiety is a growing field, yet we know little about its impact on the well-being of parents and their role in shaping children’s responses.
Role of parents in shaping response to climate change
Our research offers new insights into how eco-friendly actions and family conversations about the environment affect mental health. It also shows how parents play a key role in shaping not only their own emotional responses, but also how their children cope with the challenges of a changing climate.
We used a survey to explore the connection between climate anxiety and eco-friendly behaviours in parents. A well-tested questionnaire helped measure how anxious parents felt about climate change. The results were analysed using reliable statistical tools to understand how strong and meaningful the patterns were.
We looked at how parents’ anxiety about climate change connects to things like their eco-friendly habits, conversations with their children about climate change, and their background (such as age or income). By learning how these factors are linked, the research helps policymakers to better understand how to support families facing the emotional challenges of climate change.
Helping parents and young people navigate these challenges
It also points to ways that schools, parents, caregivers and communities can help parents and young people navigate these challenges.
By bringing together ideas from psychology, climate science and education, we are building a more comprehensive picture of how climate change affects people emotionally. We can better understand the mental health challenges families face and suggest practical solutions that can be used in schools, healthcare and beyond.
This has important implications for both mental health and environmental education policy and can help shape programmes that support parents’ and children’s mental wellbeing while encouraging eco-friendly habits. It also adds to the growing field of climate change psychology, laying the groundwork for future studies on how climate change affects our mental health.
"This project has shown how important it is to include mental health and emotional resilience in our climate solutions. It’s inspiring to think that this work could help support the well-being of parents, children and teachers."
Including emotional resilience in our climate solutions
This project has shown how important it is to include mental health and emotional resilience in our climate solutions. It’s inspiring to think that this work could help support the well-being of parents, children and teachers.
We found that parents whose children worry about or talk about climate change often feel more anxious themselves. This shows that family conversations can shape not only how children understand climate change, but also how parents feel about it. The way climate anxiety is shared between generations is an important topic for future research.
We are now working with local primary schools and parents to develop resources to support emotional well-being for children who are learning about the environment in schools. Such partnerships allow for a more holistic approach, deepening the impact of our research.
Dr Jessica Jackson
Dr Jessica Jackson is an Associate Professor with the Centre for Children and Young People's Health Research, School of Health Sciences, the University of Nottingham.
Further reading
Jackson, J., Rawson, R., Colman, R., Kotera, Y., Brooks-Ucheaga, M. (2024) Parenting in a changing climate: The relationship between discussing climate change with children aged 5–11, family eco-behaviors, and climate change anxiety. Global Health Economics and Sustainability 3172. https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3172
Jackson, J., Rawson, R., Colman, R., Kotera, Y., Brooks-Ucheaga, M. (2024) Understanding how children are coping with climate change anxiety by exploring coping strategies and supportive interventions. International Journal of Population Studies 10(2), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0850
Kotera, Y., Colman, R., Jackson, J., Brooks-Ucheaga, M., & Rawson, R. (2024). Climate change anxiety among parents of school-aged children in the UK: experience as a common predictor of cognitive-emotional and functional impairments. International Journal of Spa and Wellness, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721735.2024.2409466