As the planet warms and extreme weather events become more common, there’s a growing movement to help people navigate the emotions of climate change.
Sarah Newman started the Climate Mental Health Network four years ago, after seeking out resources for herself. The organization now helps people of all ages cope with climate anxiety, but with a focus on young people. Newman shared some of her findings and healing strategies Sunday at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
According to a 2024 Lancet study, 85% of Gen Zers are worried about climate change, representing majorities in all 50 states.
In an interview after Sunday’s workshop, Newman said youth are disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change’s mental health impacts. She thinks that anxiety is made worse by a tendency to look to young people for answers.
“They're inheriting something that they're not responsible for,” Newman said. “But there's often messaging that they're being asked to solve it, which I think is really problematic.”
The Climate Mental Health Network works with a cohort of Gen Z advisors, who Newman said frequently share stories of the pressure they’re facing.
“So many of them have talked to me about, ‘I studied environmental studies, and I never once had any conversation about mental health,’” Newman said. “Or ‘I was president of my high school environmental group, and I'm burned out, and I'm 18.’ Things like that, and it's just too much being asked of kids.”
The most recent cohort put together a Gen Z Zine, a creative resource to help fellow young people navigate their climate emotions.
Leslie Davenport, who co-led the workshop, is a therapist, author and climate psychology educator. From a clinical standpoint, she said climate anxiety is a rational reaction to real-world events, and it’s important not to treat it as an abnormal condition.
“We want to start with ‘Of course you're upset, tell me more,’” Davenport said of her approach to clients. “Without that, they get diagnosed with generalized anxiety, or there's this idea put upon them that they're dragging their concerns about other things in life into this issue.”
Since patients may not otherwise bring it up in a therapeutic setting, Davenport said she’s added a question about it on new patient intake forms.
“I always include a question, ‘When you hear what's happening in the world, particularly climate change, how does it affect you?’” Davenport said. “And some people are like, “Wow, I didn't expect this question, but actually it's on my mind. I came here to talk about my mother, but I'm glad there's room for this.’”
Davenport said there’s still a lot of growth that needs to happen in the mental health field, as her peers learn how to approach climate anxiety. To fill that gap, she leads a climate psychology certification program for professionals. To her knowledge, it’s the only one in the country.
Both Davenport and Newman acknowledge that since private therapy isn’t accessible to everyone, a broader approach to addressing climate anxiety among young people is necessary.
Newman’s Climate Mental Health Network recently developed a program to help teachers address climate-related emotions in schools, and her website offers resources for people at any stage of life.
She said a great way for anyone to start navigating these emotions is by leaning into community.
“Whether it's having a bunch of peers and talking about this, or you're doing action, or hiking, or planting trees in your neighborhood — whatever it might be,” Newman said. “But figuring out what are the things that resonate with you, that are meaningful to you, and finding people to do that in community with.”
