Children and Young People’s Psychological Needs in the Context of Environmental Change

Dear Colleagues,

The accelerating pace of global environmental change, driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and displacement, poses profound challenges not only to planetary systems but also to the psychological well-being of children and young people. Indeed, emerging evidence highlights rising levels of climate-related distress in children and young people, including eco-anxiety, grief, anger, and uncertainty about the future [1]. At the same time, environmental disruption intersects with existing social inequalities, disproportionately affecting those in marginalised and climate-vulnerable communities [2,3]. Children and young people are not only uniquely exposed to these stressors across developmental stages but are often directed with the pressure for being the active agents of change [4,5].

This Special Issue, Children and Young People’s Psychological Needs in the Context of Environmental Change, seeks to advance understanding of how best to support young people’s psychological needs, such as mental well-being, resilience, safety, belonging, agency, hope, and connection, in a rapidly changing world. We particularly invite submissions that evaluate or describe interventions designed to promote psychological well-being and climate engagement. We welcome empirical, theoretical, and practice-based papers from diverse disciplinary perspectives, communities, settings, and geographical regions. Contributions that foreground equity, cultural responsiveness, and youth voice are especially encouraged. Together, this collection aims to inform research, policy, and practice that safeguard and strengthen the psychological well-being of the next generation in the context of environmental change.

Reference:

[1] Jackson, J.; Rawson, R.; Colman, R.; Kotera, Y.; Brooks-Ucheaga, M. Understanding how children are coping with climate change anxiety by exploring coping strategies and supportive interventions. Int. J. Popul. Stud. 2024, 10, 71–77. https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0850

[2] Makharia, G.K.; Sadeghi, A.; Leddin, D.; Costello, A. Impact of climate change on vulnerable populations. Gut. 2023, 72, 2201–2204. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331195

[3] Ngcamu, B.S. Climate change effects on vulnerable populations in the Global South: a systematic review. Nat. Hazards 2023, 118, 977–991. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06070-2

[4] Ogwu, M.C.; Izah, S.C. Youth, Crisis, and Systemic Change: Generational Agency in a Warming World. In: Climate Frontiers and Social Transformation. World-Systems Evolution and Global Futures. Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17639-4_11

[5] Sanson, A.V.; Van Hoorn, J.; Burke, S.E.L. Responding to the Impacts of the Climate Crisis on Children and Youth, Child Development Perspectives. 2019, 13, 201–207, https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12342

Dr. Jessica Jackson
Dr. Becky Rawson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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