Climate Anxiety

Climate anxiety is the worry, fear or distress people feel about climate change and its present and future effects. Eco-anxiety is a broader term for anxiety about environmental threats in general, such as pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change together, although in practice the two terms are often used interchangeably. Neither is a clinical diagnosis. Most researchers see moderate climate concern as an understandable response to a real threat, while recognizing that for some people the distress becomes overwhelming and affects daily life.

This page explains what the terms mean, what research shows about who is affected, how climate distress shows up, and approaches that research links to coping. It is educational information, not individual advice.

What Is Climate Anxiety?

A widely cited 2017 report by the American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica described eco-anxiety as "a chronic fear of environmental doom." Since then, researchers have tried to define and measure the experience more precisely. Environmental psychologists Susan Clayton and Bryan Karazsia (2020) developed a Climate Change Anxiety Scale that measures two main components: cognitive and emotional impairment (such as difficulty sleeping or concentrating because of climate thoughts) and functional impairment (interference with work, study or relationships).

Unlike many anxiety problems, which involve fear that is out of proportion to actual danger, climate anxiety responds to a threat that is real and well documented. Finnish researcher Panu Pihkala (2020) describes eco-anxiety as having both "practical" forms, which can motivate problem-solving, and "paralyzing" forms, which overwhelm a person. The question psychologists ask is therefore not whether someone is worried about climate change, but whether that worry is manageable and compatible with living well.

Climate Anxiety vs Eco-Anxiety

The broader umbrella term "climate distress" is sometimes used to cover all of these experiences.

Prevalence and Demographics

The largest study to date, led by Caroline Hickman and colleagues and published in The Lancet Planetary Health in 2021, surveyed 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 in ten countries. It found that:

• 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change, and 84% were at least moderately worried.
• More than half reported feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty.
• 45% said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning.
• 75% said they thought the future was frightening, and 83% said people had failed to take care of the planet.
• 39% said they were hesitant to have children.

Worry was found in every country surveyed, but levels varied, and young people who felt their governments were not responding adequately reported more distress. Climate concern is also common in older adults, parents, people in communities directly exposed to climate hazards, and people whose work involves climate change, such as scientists and environmental professionals.

Related Concepts

Ecological Grief

Researchers Ashlee Cunsolo and Neville Ellis (2018) defined ecological grief as grief felt in response to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes. Their work with Inuit communities in northern Canada and farmers in Australia showed how environmental change can affect identity, culture and knowledge as well as livelihoods. Ecological grief is often disenfranchised, meaning it is not widely recognized as legitimate grief. See grief and loss.

Solastalgia

Philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined "solastalgia" in 2005 to describe the distress caused by environmental change in the place where one lives: a feeling of homesickness while still at home. It was first described in communities affected by large-scale mining and drought in Australia.

Pre-Traumatic Stress

Some writers use "pre-traumatic stress" for intense distress about anticipated future disasters. The concept is debated, and it is not a diagnosis, but it captures the experience of people who vividly imagine catastrophes that have not yet happened.

Climate-Related Trauma

People who live through hurricanes, floods, wildfires or extreme heat can develop post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety, as after other disasters. This is different from climate anxiety, which is mostly about anticipated threats, though the two can occur together. See trauma and PTSD.

How Climate Anxiety Shows Up

Emotional Responses

Climate distress is rarely a single emotion. People describe fear and worry about the future, grief and sadness about losses, anger and frustration at perceived inaction, guilt about their own impact, helplessness, and sometimes despair. Many young people in the Hickman survey also reported a sense of betrayal by adults and institutions.

Thinking and Behavior

• Rumination and checking: repeatedly thinking about worst-case scenarios or compulsively checking climate news.
• Catastrophizing: assuming the worst possible outcome is certain, which can drain motivation rather than build it.
• Avoidance: tuning out climate information entirely to escape distress.
• Life-planning questions: uncertainty about having children, career choices or long-term plans.
• Paralysis or burnout: some people feel unable to act; others throw themselves into activism to the point of exhaustion.

Physical Effects

As with other forms of stress, climate distress can affect sleep, appetite, concentration and energy, and can sometimes trigger panic-like episodes when people encounter distressing news or extreme weather.

Who Is Most Affected?

Is Climate Anxiety a Mental Health Problem?

There is an active debate. Many psychologists caution against pathologizing climate concern, that is, treating a reasonable reaction to a real threat as an illness. They point out that doing so can individualize a collective problem and imply that the "correct" response is to stop caring. Studies also suggest that moderate climate worry is associated with more pro-environmental behavior.

At the same time, distress can become severe. When climate-related worry is constant, disrupts sleep or functioning, or comes with hopelessness, it can overlap with conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression. People with existing anxiety may also find climate news a powerful trigger. The balanced position taken by most researchers is to validate concern while supporting people whose distress is getting in the way of their lives. If hopelessness includes thoughts of self-harm, see crisis resources.

Coping With Climate Anxiety

The approaches below are general wellbeing strategies with research context. They are not treatment for an anxiety disorder; persistent or severe distress deserves professional support.

Turn Concern Into Meaningful Action

Research suggests that taking action, especially alongside others, can increase a sense of agency and reduce feelings of helplessness. Action can take many forms: community projects, environmental volunteering, using professional skills, conversations with friends and family, or changes in personal habits chosen for their meaning rather than out of guilt. Sustainable engagement matters more than intensity.

Build Connection

Climate distress tends to grow in isolation. Talking with others who share concerns, for example in "climate cafés" or community groups, provides validation and a sense of shared purpose. Support groups such as those run by the Good Grief Network focus specifically on climate-related emotions.

Practice Constructive Hope

Swedish psychologist Maria Ojala (2012) found that young people's "constructive hope," based on trust in collective efforts and one's own ability to contribute, was linked to more environmental engagement and wellbeing than either denial or despair. Environmental writer Joanna Macy's related idea of "active hope" describes hope as something people practice through action rather than a prediction that things will turn out well.

Manage News Exposure

Staying informed matters, but constant exposure to distressing news can fuel rumination. Common strategies include setting specific times to check news, choosing sources that cover solutions as well as problems, and taking regular breaks.

Allow and Process Emotions

Naming feelings, writing about them, creative expression and talking with trusted people can help. Approaches drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy emphasize making room for difficult feelings while still acting on one's values. Skills from emotion regulation and mindfulness can also help people stay grounded.

Spend Time in Nature

Time in green and natural spaces is associated with lower stress and better mood in many studies, and for some people it reinforces a sense of connection to what they care about.

Look After the Basics

Sleep, physical activity, social contact and activities that bring enjoyment all support resilience and make difficult emotions more manageable.

Seek Professional Support When Needed

If climate distress significantly affects functioning, a therapist can help. Some therapists describe themselves as "climate-aware," meaning they take climate concerns seriously rather than treating them as irrational. The Climate Psychology Alliance is a professional network in this area. See how to find a therapist.

Supporting Young People

• Listen and validate. Responses like "it will all work out" can feel dismissive. Acknowledging that the concern is reasonable opens conversation.
• Be honest and age-appropriate. Younger children need simple information and reassurance that adults are working on the problem; teens can handle more complexity.
• Emphasize agency. Family, school or community projects give young people something concrete to do.
• Model balanced engagement. Children learn from how adults handle their own feelings.
• Protect ordinary childhood. Play, friendships, interests and fun remain essential for development.

Conclusion

Climate anxiety and eco-anxiety describe a range of understandable emotional responses to environmental change, from motivating concern to overwhelming distress. They are not mental illnesses, but they can affect wellbeing, especially for young people and communities on the front line of climate impacts. Research points to connection, meaningful action, constructive hope and good self-care as helpful, with professional support when distress becomes persistent or severe. The aim is not to stop caring, but to care in a way that is sustainable.