Summarised by Centrist
Eco-anxiety, as defined by Yale, is a form of worry specifically about climate change and its effects on humanity.
A global study from The Lancet found that nearly 60% of 16- to 25-year-olds are “very or extremely worried” about the future due to climate change. Many feel that governments have failed to act effectively and that the world is on a doomed path.
The term itself is becoming a point of discussion among scientists and mental health experts, who agree that it is becoming a major source of mental distress.
Melissa Porrey, a counsellor specialising in eco-anxiety, explained that this type of anxiety often stems from feelings of helplessness, as people see climate-related disasters unfold and feel there is little they can do to stop it.
Critics like Tom Nelson from the CO2 Coalition argue that the media is overhyping climate fears to promote political agendas, which may be unnecessarily heightening anxiety.
In 2023, Penn state researcher Jessica Myrick commented that “frightening news about climate change” can affect people.
“This is called an agenda-setting effect, where a topic that is covered more often in the news is then viewed as more important by people who consume the news,” she said.
