Eco-anxiety in youth: An integrative literature review

Climate change-related eco-anxiety in young people has made headlines around the world, but most study of this phenomenon has been limited to adults. Eco-anxiety is still not well defined in the literature, but generally refers to distress, worry, or concern related to the climate change crisis. Young people will be chronologically more exposed to climate change-related harms and problems, and this may be causing increased eco-anxiety in this population. This literature review aimed to summarize the relevant works on eco-anxiety in young people, provide a critique of the literature, identify gaps, and discuss the relevance to nursing practice. A literature search using multiple databases and other sources was completed, using applicable key terms and resulted in 23 sources to inform the review. Key themes of eco-anxiety definition variation, hopelessness and burden in young people, and responses to eco-anxiety are discussed, and critical analysis is undertaken. The main conclusions include a broad working definition of eco-anxiety that does not pathologize the eco-anxiety experience but recognizes that it can cause suffering. Also discussed is the role of nurses in reducing the potential or actual suffering of youth through hope promotion, challenging binary thinking patterns, building emotional resilience, encouraging action or involvement in climate change spheres, and promoting climate justice and advocacy. Recommendations for further research are offered.