Australian Youth Mental Health and Climate Change Concern After the Black Summer Bushfires

Title
Australian Youth Mental Health and Climate Change Concern After the Black Summer Bushfires
Publication Date
2023-04-28
Author(s)
Lykins, Amy D
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2930-3964
Email: alykins@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:alykins
Parsons, Melissa
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3918-7306
Email: mparson@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:mparson
Craig, Belinda M
Cosh, Suzanne M
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-3704
Email: scosh@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:scosh
Hine, Donald W
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3905-7026
Email: dhine@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:dhine
Murray, Clara
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9594-7421
Email: cmurra30@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cmurra30
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1007/s10393-023-01630-1
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/54982
Abstract

Climate change and its effects present notable challenges for mental health, particularly for vul-nerable populations, including young people. Immediately following the unprecedented Black Summer bushfire season of 2019/2020, 746 Australians (aged 16–25 years) completed measures of mental health and perceptions of climate change. Results indicated greater presentations of depression, anxiety, stress, adjustment disorder symptoms, substance abuse, and climate change distress and concern, as well as lower psychological resilience and perceived distance to climate change, in participants with direct exposure to these bushfires. Findings highlight significant vulnerabilities of concern for youth mental health as climate change advances.

Link
Citation
EcoHealth, 20(1), p. 3-8
ISSN
1612-9210
1612-9202
Pubmed ID
37115466
Start page
3
End page
8
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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