Why climate education needs to include mental health
13-year-old Indian student Gargi Bhavsar. (Courtesy of Gargi Bhavsar)
13-year-old Indian student Gargi Bhavsar discusses eco anxiety and why climate education needs to include mental health.
Ever since I learned about the climate crisis, I’ve seen its impact on my mental health. I used to get very scared reading about climate emergencies and natural disasters, worrying that one day they would affect my home in Maharashtra, India. That fear would consume me for weeks at a time. I felt like danger was around me wherever I went. I would wonder what would happen if a natural disaster suddenly struck, obliterating everything I know and love. This constant anxiety affected my focus on studies and day-to-day life. And I’m not the only student feeling the effects of climate change on their mental health.
Around the world, young people report increased levels of eco anxiety, which is a persistent concern about the future of our planet. For some students, it’s the looming threat of a climate and ecological disaster that’s impacting their mental health. For others, the consequences of extreme weather events — such as being forced from their home or no longer being able to access food or water — result in increased levels of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In Tuvalu, a Pacific island country threatened by rising sea levels, a recent survey found that 87% of respondents had severe climate anxiety that impaired their ability to perform daily activities. Another study found that 83% of Gen Z Americans are concerned about the health of the planet and say that the quality of their environment affects their health and well-being. Reports indicate that higher temperatures and heat waves are causing increased rates of suicide.
“The only way to tackle the climate crisis and its effects on our mental health is through education.”
The only way to tackle the climate crisis and its effects on our mental health is through education. Schools need to teach students about climate change and its causes — but they also need to be prepared that these lessons might impact students’ mental health. Learning about the climate crisis in the classroom — while absolutely necessary — may make young people feel worried, scared and uncertain about their future. Teachers need to be prepared for that and ready to help them cope.
Teachers need to equip students with information about ways to deal with eco anxiety. I want teachers to make students understand how to cope physically and emotionally during extreme weather events and as the climate crisis looms over us. I want schools to have separate sessions explaining how they can protect their mental health and deal with traumatic experiences. Students should learn about eco anxiety and be able to recognise the ways it might manifest in their lives and how to address it.
Gargi and a classmate take care of a plant. (Courtesy of Gargi Bhavsar)
I’ve personally found that taking action to address the climate crisis helps me cope with my anxiety. Whenever I speak out about climate change, I get a feeling of satisfaction, which reduces my stress levels and helps me be calm. Knowing I am doing something to protect our planet makes me feel satisfied and confident. I always feel that my actions will bring out a result and this thought helps me battle my anxiety.
I want every student to be able to take care of their mental health during the climate crisis, particularly in times of extreme weather events or any traumatic experiences. Young people need to have the tools and knowledge to cope with the mental health consequences of climate change so they can devote their energies to what’s most important: finding solutions to the climate emergency.
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