A recent study highlights the severe impact of climate change on the mental health of adolescents in Madagascar, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Research indicates that young people in rural areas are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional distress due to the direct effects of extreme weather events like droughts and floods.
Conducted by researchers from University College London (UCL), the study involved 83 teenagers with an average age of 15 from six rural communities in southern Madagascar. It found that 90% of participants experienced food shortages within the last year, and nearly 70% reported going an entire day without food. These hardships have led to alarming rates of mental health issues, with participants expressing ongoing fears about their current living conditions, rather than future uncertainties.
“The fears that they go through are in the present tense, not the future tense,” explains Samuel Solomon, a psychology professor and co-author of the study. He emphasizes that the emotional toll extends beyond mere climate anxiety, as young individuals grapple with immediate crises affecting their families and communities.
The study reveals that the loss of coping mechanisms, particularly access to education, exacerbates these mental health problems. Many students reported having to leave school because their families could no longer afford education due to income loss from climate-related disasters. One participant stated, “Before, despite difficulty we continued to go to school but now we stopped because our parents have no income.”
To combat these mental health challenges, the researchers recommend policies that encourage school attendance and training in climate-resilient farming practices. By teaching young people how to adapt their agricultural methods to the changing climate, they can help secure food and income for their families, which may alleviate stress and improve mental wellbeing.
Isabelle Mareschal, another UCL professor involved in the study, stresses the importance of incorporating local voices into solutions. “Policies that work in developed countries may not apply here. We need to focus on strategies that resonate with the realities of these communities.”
Moreover, the report suggests that enhancing food and water security can significantly reduce the psychological burden that climate change imposes on youth. As global discussions on climate change increasingly acknowledge the intersection between environmental issues and mental health, experts are calling for greater attention from policymakers. Currently, only 3% of countries’ climate action plans address mental health support.
At the recent COP29 climate conference, Emma Lawrance, a policy lead at the Connecting Climate Minds initiative, pointed out that decision-makers often overlook the struggles faced by young people. “Decision-makers are failing young people,” she stated, advocating for increased youth involvement in climate action.
While climate activism is often encouraged as a coping mechanism for mental distress, rural youth in developing regions face barriers that urban counterparts may not experience. However, urban youth in the Global South are increasingly mobilizing around climate issues. For instance, in Nigeria, 26-year-old Ayomide Olude joined SustyVibes, a platform where young people can discuss their climate concerns and organize awareness events.
Similarly, Congolese teenager Emmanuel Jidisa, motivated by personal experiences with climate disasters, collaborates with UNICEF to promote eco-friendly practices in schools. These young activists demonstrate the potential for community-driven solutions to address the mental health impacts of climate change.
Additionally, Mongolian climate campaigner Bilgudei Gankhulug has developed an app aimed at helping nomadic herders adapt to climate changes. After losing most of his family’s livestock to severe winter conditions, he created the Otorchin app to assist herders in locating pastures and tracking livestock, thereby providing a practical response to climate-related challenges.
The findings from this study underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions that address the intersections of climate change and mental health for youth in vulnerable regions. By fostering education and resilience in agricultural practices, policymakers can help mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change, ensuring that the next generation has the tools to cope with an increasingly uncertain future.
