Votre recherche

The climate crisis not only has significant impacts on biodiversity and the physical health of humans, but its ramifications are also affecting people’s mental health. Eco-anxiety, or the emotions that emerge with the awareness of climate change and the apprehension of its detrimental effects, has been investigated in adults and adolescents, but much less attention has been given to the impacts on children’s mental health and well-being. Initial evidence confirms that youth are significantly concerned about climate change, but few studies have investigated the resulting emotional responses of children and the role of their parents in tempering these, especially using qualitative methodologies. The present study used a descriptive qualitative design with a convenience sample of parents and child dyads, assessed separately. Children’s ( n = 15, ages 8–12 years) experiences were explored using semi-structured interviews and their parents’ ( n = 12) perceptions were captured using a survey with closed and open-ended questions. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data, and content analysis was used to investigate parent-child experiences. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: 1. children’s understanding of climate change, 2. their emotional reaction to climate change, and 3. their coping mechanisms to deal with these emotions. The comparative content analysis revealed that parents who were aware that their children had concerns about climate change, had children who used more adaptive coping mechanisms. The results of this qualitative study contribute to a better understanding of children’s emotional experience of the awareness of climate change in Canada and how they cope with these emotions. Furthermore, the results provide insight into the role parents might play in helping their children cope with their feelings.

L’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) soutient que les changements climatiques représentent la plus grande menace pour la santé dans le monde au 21e siècle. Ceux-ci influencent négativement plusieurs déterminants sociaux et environnementaux de la santé comme l’accessibilité à la nourriture et la qualité de cette dernière, l’eau et l’air. Blessures, impacts psychosociaux, aggravation de maladies respiratoires, malnutrition, maladies infectieuses, décès : les conséquences sanitaires sont susceptibles d’affecter les populations sur tous les continents. Le Canada se réchauffe deux fois plus rapidement que la moyenne mondiale en raison de sa proximité au pôle Arctique, où le réchauffement est accéléré comparativement à l’équateur (Bush et Lemmen, 2019). Ainsi, le Québec n’est certainement pas à l’abri des changements climatiques. Dans le Sud de la province, les températures moyennes observées ont augmenté de plus d’un degré depuis 1970 et des répercussions se font déjà sentir dans notre environnement. Ce réchauffement, accompagné d’une plus grande variabilité du climat (augmentation du risque d’orages, de tempêtes et d’extrêmes hydrométéorologiques en général), représente un défi grandissant pour les professionnel.le.s de la santé. Dans la région de l’Estrie, les professionnel.le.s de santé publique ont effectué une analyse qui leur ont permis d’identifier quatre principaux problèmes environnementaux associés aux changements climatiques, soit : les vagues de chaleur; les inondations; les tiques à pattes noires; le pollen de l’herbe à poux. Ces problèmes ont des impacts importants sur la santé, c’est-à-dire potentiellement graves ou qui touchent un grand nombre de personnes. Le stress et les pertes (humaines et matérielles) engendrées par ces différents problèmes environnementaux peuvent aussi représenter une source majeure de problèmes psychologiques significatifs pouvant persister dans le temps. De plus, ces impacts sont variables selon les différents contextes sociaux des individus et des communautés, générant des inégalités sociales de santé.

<sec><title>Background</title><p>Youth are increasingly aware of the negative effects of climate change on the planet and human health, but this knowledge can often come with significant affective responses, such as psychological distress, anger, or despair. Experiencing major “negative” emotions, like worry, guilt, and hopelessness in anticipation of climate change has been identified with the term eco-anxiety. Emerging literature focuses on adults' experience; however, little is known about the ways in which children and youth experience eco-anxiety.</p></sec><sec><title>Objectives</title><p>The aim of this review was to: (1) identify the available evidence on the topic of eco-anxiety in children, (2) clarify the mental health consequences brought by the awareness of climate change in this population, and (3) identify knowledge gaps in the literature and considerations for future research.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Given that the research on the topic of eco-anxiety in children is limited, that there are very few randomized controlled trials, and that the goal is not to analyze individual studies in-depth, a scoping review was used. Keywords pertaining to the themes of eco-anxiety, climate change and children (aged &lt; 18 years) were used as search terms in five databases. Journal articles using qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as gray literature were examined by two independent reviewers. A descriptive-analytical method was used to chart the data that emerged from the literature. Eighteen articles were considered in the final analysis.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Evidence confirms that children experience affective responses and eco-anxiety in reaction to then awareness of climate change. Mental health outcomes include depression, anxiety, and extreme emotions like sadness, anger, and fear. Youth from vulnerable communities, like indigenous communities, or those who have strong ties to the land are often identified as being emotionally impacted by climate change. The literature analyzed also describes how children and youth are coping with eco-anxiety, including maladaptive (e.g., denial) and adaptive responses (such as constructive hope, used as a positive coping mechanism). Preliminary considerations for parents, teachers and educators, mental health care providers, school systems, adults and people of power include adding age-appropriate climate education to the school curriculum, considering youth's emotions, and promoting healthy coping through empowerment. Important gaps exist in the definition of eco-anxiety in youth, as various characterizations of this emerging concept are found across articles.</p></sec>

Cette recension a pour objectifs de documenter les approches et les principes d'intervention recommandés dans les écrits pour intervenir auprès des jeunes en contexte de catastrophe, de décrire des techniques, des stratégies, des programmes et des types d'intervention ayant déjà été mis en place auprès d'enfants et d'adolescents en contexte de catastrophe et d'identifier les facteurs ayant contribué à l'efficacité des interventions.

Canada regularly faces environmental public health (EPH) disasters. Given the importance of evidence-based, risk-informed decision-making, we aimed to critically assess the integration of EPH expertise and research into each phase of disaster management. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 leaders in disaster management from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and were complemented by other qualitative methods. Three topics were examined: governance, knowledge creation/translation, and related barriers/needs. Data were analyzed through a four-step content analysis. Six critical success factors emerged from the analysis: blending the best of traditional and modern approaches; fostering community engagement; cultivating relationships; investing in preparedness and recovery; putting knowledge into practice; and ensuring sufficient human and financial resources. Several promising knowledge-to-action strategies were also identified, including mentorship programs, communities of practice, advisory groups, systematized learning, and comprehensive repositories of tools and resources. There is no single roadmap to incorporate EPH expertise and research into disaster management. Our findings suggest that preparation for and management of EPH disaster risks requires effective long-term collaboration between science, policy, and EPH practitioners at all levels in order to facilitate coordinated and timely deployment of multi-sectoral/jurisdictional resources when and where they are most needed.