We need to (find a way to) talk about … Eco-anxiety

ABSTRACT

Eco-anxiety may not be new, but could now be seen as an emergent phenomenon attracting increasing attention as public awareness about the climate and bio-diversity crisis grows. There may also be some generational differences in how we respond emotionally, with children often talking about feelings framed by their experience of adult misunderstanding or inaction. What often scares children the most is how they see the ‘adult world’ failing to take sufficient urgent action on these threats, whilst at the same time dismissing, criminalising, pathologising and patronising their feelings and voices. Children and young people are increasingly taking centre stage in protests about the need to take urgent action, whilst simultaneously often being the focus of society’s anxieties about the psychological impact of the crises; ‘we mustn’t frighten the children’. This paper focuses on children and young people’s perspectives; introducing eco-anxiety, drawing on clinical practice examples, research findings and finally offering conceptual frames to help us broaden and deepen our understanding of this evolving syndrome.

KEYWORDS:

• Eco-anxiety
• climate emergency
• bio-diversity crisis
• children and young people
• relational practice
• depth psychology
• eco-empathy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Caroline Hickman

Caroline Hickman is a lecturer at the University of Bath in social work and climate psychology; psychotherapist & member of the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA). Caroline works with schools, parent groups, youth activist groups and as a pyschotherapist with children, young people & adults dealing with eco anxiety and distress about the climate & biodiversity crisis. Through the University of Bath she has been researching children & young people’s feelings about the climate and biodiversity crisis for 5 years to uncover and explore different stories, narratives and images around our defences against the 'difficult truth' we are facing. Her research is with children & young people in the UK, Sweden, Brazil, USA, Maldives, Nigeria & Bangladesh.