Eco-Anxiety in Children and Young People – A Rational Response, Irreconcilable Despair, or Both?

ABSTRACT: This paper presents research and clinical material exploring how eco-anxiety can be felt and thought about by children and young people. It discusses the importance of understanding the range of climate anxiety found in practice, ranging from mild to medium to significant, severe, and critical climate distress. Frequently eco-anxiety is perceived as a singular emotional and cognitive experience, and all too often seen through adult eyes. This scale drawn from clinical practice attempts to differentiate between the different experiences children and young people can have by drawing on international clinical and research evidence. The paper argues that supporting children's eco-anxiety requires a both/and approach — acknowledging feelings of loss and grief for losses that have already taken place, whilst holding hope, and crucially not individualising what is a collective hurt.