Eco-anxiety is a form of psychological distress related to the climate and environmental crisis. Eco-anxiety refers to the distress arising from climate and environmental changes, with children and young people being particularly affected.26 Climate change anxiety — that is, worry and fear regarding awareness of the impacts of climate change — is widely observed around the world.27 Unlike a traditional clinical disorder, eco-anxiety is often a rational response to a real threat — but it can severely interfere with daily functioning. The Fear of the End of the World That Isn’t Paranoia — It’s Science
What is eco-anxiety?
Increasing awareness of climate change and other ecological crises poses significant challenges to both psychological well-being and collective resilience. Eco-anxiety, a form of psychological distress related to these threats, has attracted growing attention but remains inconsistently defined and studied in the scientific literature.28
A scoping review of 202 articles synthesized the current state of knowledge: This scoping review compiles findings from 202 articles, examining definitions, dimensions, correlates, and coping strategies associated with eco-anxiety. It highlights the implications of eco-anxiety for mental health, well-being, and environmental engagement. The review proposes a conceptual framework to understand eco-anxiety and its related constructs.28
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It is important to distinguish eco-anxiety from other related emotional states:
| Concept | Definition |
| Eco-anxiety | Worry and fear related to the climate crisis |
| Solastalgia | Distress caused by changes in the environment you inhabit |
| Eco-grief / Ecological grief | Grief over lost ecosystems, species, or landscapes |
| Eco-paralysis | Inability to act despite awareness of the crisis |
| Eco-anger | Indignation against systems and leadership due to inaction |
Search terms included: “eco-anxiety,” “climate anxiety,” “ecological grief,” “solastalgia,” “eco-paralysis,” “eco-doom,” as well as “anxiety,” “worry,” and “distress” combined with climate change terms.28
Who is most affected by eco-anxiety?
Certain groups are more likely to experience climate change anxiety, including younger individuals, women, and those with higher levels of neuroticism, as well as people with left-leaning political views, those highly concerned about the future or environment, and those exposed to perceived climate change consequences or frequent climate information.29
Youth are at the forefront:
- A 2021 study in The Lancet surveyed 10,000 young people aged 16 to 25 across 10 countries and revealed even more concerning results. Overall, nearly 60% of respondents described themselves as very or extremely worried about climate change, and nearly 85% were at least moderately worried. More than 45% of the total said these feelings negatively affected their daily functioning.30
- In an April 2025 article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists surveyed nearly 3,000 young people in the U.S. aged 16 to 24 and found that approximately 20% feared having children — concerned about bringing a new generation into an ever-warming world. This figure rose to more than 30% among young people who had personally experienced a severe climate event.30
And young people feel ignored: Almost 62% reported having at least tried to talk with others about climate change, and nearly 58% said they felt ignored or dismissed. More than 70% wished others were more open to discussing the issue, and over 66% wanted their parents’ and grandparents’ generations to understand their feelings.30
Does eco-anxiety harm mental health?
Yes, but in a complex manner:
Consistently, eco-anxiety has shown small to large positive correlations with mental health outcomes such as psychological distress, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress symptoms. However, results related to PTSD symptoms and pathological worry have been mixed. Stronger associations were observed when eco-anxiety was operationalized as “anxiety” rather than “worry.” The findings highlight that eco-anxiety is related to psychological burden.31
Recent research has revealed an impact even on cognition: Although climate anxiety can be seen as a natural reaction to a real and global threat, it can also negatively affect psychological health and interfere with normal daily functioning.32
Findings from two national probabilistic samples of American adults show that 16% report at least one feature of psychological distress related to climate change, and certain groups exhibit higher levels of distress than others (e.g., Hispanic/Latino adults, lower-income adults, younger adults).33
Is eco-anxiety an illness or an adaptive response?
This is the central question of the debate:
Some evidence suggests that, while anxiety about climate change can sometimes be adaptive, a growing body of research reports that it is also associated with a range of negative mental health outcomes and psychological distress.27
It is important to distinguish climate-related distress as a clinically significant mental health problem that can interfere with daily functioning versus a valid and normal (or mild) emotional response to the threat of climate change.33
The paradox is that eco-anxiety, when it does not paralyze, can be a driver for action: Climate anxiety can motivate climate action and pro-environmental behavior; however, this adaptive effect appears to be influenced by individual differences in emotional regulation, attentional capacities, and personal experiences with climate change.32
Individuals experiencing distress are more likely to engage in collective climate action or express willingness to do so, even when controlling for various environmental behavior correlates. These findings highlight that many Americans are experiencing psychological distress from climate change, and those who do are more involved in collective climate action.33
Invalidation makes everything worse — The effect of being ignored
“One of the most damaging things for children across the spectrum, on any subject, is invalidation,” says researcher Haase.30
When young people try to express their climate anguish and are dismissed, minimized, or ridiculed, the distress intensifies. Eco-anxiety thrives in isolation; validation — even without immediate solutions — is therapeutic.
Youth exposed to severe climate events carry lasting marks: Investigators sought signs of mental distress, defined as feeling prolonged sadness or hopelessness or suffering from short-term sleep difficulties. Across the sampled group, they found that young people who had experienced the greatest number of disasters had a 25% higher rate of mental distress when exposed to a disaster in the previous two years, and a 20% higher rate within five years.30
From paralysis to action — How to channel eco-anxiety
The key is not to deny the feeling but to direct it:
Active Coping Protocol for Eco-Anxiety:
- Validate the feeling — Eco-anxiety is not weakness. It is a proportional response to a real threat
- Moderate information intake — Follow the climate crisis without being consumed by it. Set times and sources for climate information
- Local action — Engagement in micro-scale actions (community gardening, circular economy, conscious consumption) restores a sense of agency
- Collective action — Research shows that engagement in collective movements reduces distress by transforming individual helplessness into group power
- Community — Connect with others who share the concern. Shared eco-anxiety is less corrosive than solitary eco-anxiety
- Mindfulness — Evidence suggests mindfulness training may offer a promising approach to support cognitive resilience in individuals experiencing high levels of climate anxiety.32
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions about Eco-Anxiety
Q: What is eco-anxiety? A: Climate change anxiety is worry and fear related to awareness of climate change impacts27, which may include emotional, cognitive, and behavioral distress.
Q: Is eco-anxiety a mental disorder? A: It is not classified as a disorder in the DSM-5 or ICD-11. It is important to distinguish climate-related distress as a clinically significant mental health problem versus a valid emotional response to the threat of climate change.33
Q: How many young people are affected? A: Nearly 60% of young people aged 16 to 25 surveyed across 10 countries described themselves as very or extremely worried about climate change.30
Q: Can eco-anxiety be positive? A: Yes. Eco-anxiety is positively related to climate action, with associations exceeding those of generalized anxiety. Implications for supporting vulnerable groups, channeling eco-anxiety into action, and recommendations for future research are discussed.29
Q: My child is afraid of climate change. What should I do? A: Do not minimize. Validate the feeling, provide age-appropriate information, and involve the child in concrete actions (planting, recycling, caring for animals). The combination of emotional validation + practical agency is most effective.
Q: Does eco-anxiety influence the decision to have children? A: Approximately 20% of young people aged 16 to 24 surveyed feared having children, concerned about bringing a new generation into a warming world.30 This number rises to 30% among those who experienced extreme climate events.
Q: Is there treatment for eco-anxiety? A: There is no standard treatment, but cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and engagement in collective action have shown effectiveness. Researchers are also developing specific clinical scales to identify those who need professional support.
Q: Does eco-anxiety only affect left-leaning people? A: Research shows that individuals with left-leaning political views are more likely to experience eco-anxiety29, but the phenomenon affects people across the political spectrum, especially those with direct exposure to extreme climate events.
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