An expert-informed guiding framework for promoting adolescent and young adult mental health and well-being amidst climate change

The aim of this paper was to develop a framework for addressing adolescent and young adult mental health and distress related to climate change. We conducted qualitative focus groups with experts working directly with or regularly in contact with adolescents and young adults across disciplinary perspectives, including public health, epidemiology, community-based organizations, and clinical mental health practice (N = 27). We used iterative inductive content analysis to identify common priorities regarding adolescent and young adult climate distress. Three themes emerged which highlight priority areas shared across disciplinary perspectives. Knowledge Generation (Theme 1) involved increasing scientific knowledge regarding the causes, consequences, and prevalence of climate distress as well as viable treatments. Framing and Communication (Theme 2) highlighted the importance of providing realistic hope in order to ensure an informed audience without creating undue distress. Resource Allocation (Theme 3) identified cross-disciplinary interest in expanding funding resources, as well as seeking creative strategies for addressing mental health concerns amidst climate change given limited resources. Two meta-themes emerged as guiding principles, namely the importance of centering most-impacted populations as well as focusing on systemic, rather than individual, change. Findings hold relevance not only to public health professionals but also social scientists, clinicians, and community-based leaders engaged in supporting healthy development among adolescents and young adults. Shared values and opportunities to address climate change-related distress span disciplinary fields. It is critical that future work addressing the public health threats of climate change maintain a transdisciplinary and action-oriented focus. Integrating mental health into broader programs addressing climate change will support resilience and minimize pathologization of climate distress. Our framework helps organizes work across disciplines to address adolescent and young adult climate distress.