A volcanoes, such as Popocatépetl in Mexico, which resulted in an explosion. He cyclone moka which lands on Sunday at Myanmarand winds of up to 250 kph which destroyed shelters in low-lying areas, causing disappearances and deaths. Argentina, Uruguay and Chilethat has passed extreme drought and high temperatures, which cause crop losses and harm food safety. These are some of the most recent environmental disaster that affects the people who suffer from it and worries others just by hearing the news from a distance.

It is in this scenario that scientists are already talking about “echo-anxiety” one of “ecological anxiety”, suffering is associated with concern about the impact of climate change.

A survey from University of Bath, England showing signs of echo-anxiety. Of the nearly 5,000 respondents, 19% are students and 25% are staff expressed “deeply concerned” about climate change, while 36% and 33% said they were “very concerned”. Concern for the weather is higher than the results of a survey they conducted the previous year.

The survey was completed by 4,764 respondents, representing 41% of University staff and 14% of students. The consultation was commissioned by the Climate Action team, and the methodology and results were analyzed by researchers Lorraine Whitmarsh, Paul Haggar and Kaloyan Mitev.

According to Stephanie Collierdirector of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in the United States,”Environmental anxiety is not a mental illness. Rather, it is an anxiety that is rooted in uncertainty about the future and reminds us of the dangers of climate change.”

“It is normal to experience worry and fear” about the consequences of climate change, according to Collier. Additionally, weather anxiety is often accompanied by feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and shame, which in turn can affect mood, behavior, and thinking.

According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, more than two-thirds of Americans experience some form of weather anxiety. According to a study published by Lancet, 84% of children and youth aged 16 to 25 are at least moderately concerned about climate change, and 59% are very or very concerned about it.

It is true that children and adolescents are worried. “It makes sense, because children and young adults will suffer disproportionately from environmental changes,” Collier said.

Report from UNICEF it is estimated that 1 billion children will be at “extremely high risk” as a result of climate change. Children and young adults are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of chronic stress, and weather anxiety can increase the risk of developing depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.

Climate change can affect mental health directly (for example, through environmental disasters) and indirectly (through displacement, migration and food insecurity).

Elevated temperatures have been associated with increased visits to the emergency room for psychiatric reasons, and can impair the cognitive development of children and adolescents. Additionally, food insecurity is associated with depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems.

What matters is that climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is manageable. “Because uncertainty and loss of control characterize weather anxiety, the best treatment is action. On an individual level, it is therapeutic to share your worries and fears with a trusted friend, therapist, or by joining a support group,” advises the Harvard expert.

You can also make lifestyle changes that are consistent with your values. You can “take fewer flights, join protests, or raise public awareness about climate change through advocacy,” according to Collier. A group approach to connecting with others to take action that is significant.

A study was recently published in the journal Plot One, in parents and children assessed separately for echo-anxiety. The experiences of 15 children (aged 8 to 12 years) were explored through semi-structured interviews and their parents’ perceptions were collected through surveys with closed and open questions.

Reflective thematic analysis was used to evaluate interview data and content analysis to investigate the experiences of parents and children. The analysis revealed that parents who are aware that their children are worried about climate change have children using more adaptive coping mechanisms, write researchers from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada.

“It is very important to support children’s emotional expression and create space to discuss existing issues. In addition, this generation must adapt to a less polluted and carbon-dense world, which demonstrates the importance of supporting children to move to the mobilizing side of environmental anxiety and not to the side that paralyzes their conclusions.

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