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O'Connell LK, Botchwey N. Supporting Youth Participation in Health and Climate Justice Through Advocacy Training Comment on "Between Rhetoric and Reality: Learnings From Youth Participation in the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa". Int J Health Policy Manag 2023; 12:7898. [PMID: 38618774 PMCID: PMC10843366 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper responds to lessons from the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy (AYHP) process in South Africa by drawing comparisons with youth participation within the climate justice movement. Relationship building is essential to successful youth participation in health policy and climate change as it creates intergenerational learning and cross-cultural engagement. At the same time, both sets of youth also deal with compounding challenges due to contemporary and historical legacies of colonialism and inequality. Yet, tokenism challenges the participatory process as adults profess to value youth perspectives, yet recommendations by youth often do not get incorporated into policies or plans. For organizations and agencies trying to build youth's capacity, organizations and agencies should look to programs that train youth in advocacy. These programs help build youth's confidence, increase their optimism for change, and give youth a sense of ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Katie O'Connell
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of City and Regional Planning, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nisha Botchwey
- Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Shepherd RP, Orchard TR. “We Cause a Ruckus”: Exploring How Indigenous Youth Navigate the Challenges of Community Engagement and Leadership. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159542. [PMID: 35954896 PMCID: PMC9367837 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Using qualitative data from an interdisciplinary research project about mental health and community engagement with Indigenous youth in Kasabonika Lake First Nation (Ontario, Canada), this paper explores the factors that constrain and facilitate their ability to contribute to the well-being of their community. Case studies are employed to demonstrate how the youth navigate complex social and structural conditions within the context of on-going colonization through federal and provincial governance arrangements, to make a difference in the place they call home and forge unique in-roads that reflect their generational realities and aspirations. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions related to mental health, self-determination, and resilience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P. Shepherd
- School of Public Policy & Administration, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Treena R. Orchard
- School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
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Lawrance EL, Thompson R, Newberry Le Vay J, Page L, Jennings N. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence, and its Implications. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:443-498. [PMID: 36165756 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2128725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Converging global evidence highlights the dire consequences of climate change for human mental health and wellbeing. This paper summarises literature across relevant disciplines to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the multiple pathways through which climate change interacts with mental health and wellbeing. Climate change acts as a risk amplifier by disrupting the conditions known to support good mental health, including socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, and living and working conditions. The disruptive influence of rising global temperatures and extreme weather events, such as experiencing a heatwave or water insecurity, compounds existing stressors experienced by individuals and communities. This has deleterious effects on people's mental health and is particularly acute for those groups already disadvantaged within and across countries. Awareness and experiences of escalating climate threats and climate inaction can generate understandable psychological distress; though strong emotional responses can also motivate climate action. We highlight opportunities to support individuals and communities to cope with and act on climate change. Consideration of the multiple and interconnected pathways of climate impacts and their influence on mental health determinants must inform evidence-based interventions. Appropriate action that centres climate justice can reduce the current and future mental health burden, while simultaneously improving the conditions that nurture wellbeing and equality. The presented evidence adds further weight to the need for decisive climate action by decision makers across all scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Lawrance
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, UK.,Mental Health Innovations, UK.,Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
| | | | | | - Lisa Page
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, UK
| | - Neil Jennings
- Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
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Lebel L, Paquin V, Kenny TA, Fletcher C, Nadeau L, Chachamovich E, Lemire M. Climate change and Indigenous mental health in the Circumpolar North: A systematic review to inform clinical practice. Transcult Psychiatry 2022; 59:312-336. [PMID: 34989262 PMCID: PMC9160950 DOI: 10.1177/13634615211066698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is disproportionally impacting the Circumpolar North, with particular impacts among Indigenous populations. Environmental changes are felt in many aspects of daily life of Northern communities, including both physical and mental health. Thus, health institutions from around the Arctic must meet emerging needs, while the phenomenon remains marginal to their southern counterparts. In this systematic review, we aimed to review current scientific knowledge on the mental health impacts of climate change in Indigenous Peoples across the Circumpolar North. Seven databases were searched. Original peer-reviewed research articles were included if they addressed links between climate change and mental health in Arctic or Subarctic Indigenous Populations. After extraction, data were synthesized using thematic analysis. Of the 26 articles that met inclusion criteria, 16 focused on Canadian Inuit communities and 21 were exclusively qualitative. Being on the land was identified as a central determinant of wellbeing. Immediate impacts of climate change on mental health were felt through restricted mobility and disrupted livelihoods. Effects on mental health were further felt through changes in culture and identity, food insecurity, interpersonal stress and conflicts, and housing problems. Various ways in how communities and individuals are coping with these effects were reported. Understanding climate-related pathways of mental health risks in the Arctic is crucial to better identify vulnerable groups and to foster resilience. Clinicians can play a role in recognizing and providing support for patients affected by these disruptions. Policies sensitive to the climate-mental health relationship must be advocated for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Lebel
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Paquin
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Tiff-Annie Kenny
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Christopher Fletcher
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Lucie Nadeau
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Children's Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Eduardo Chachamovich
- Douglas Mental Health Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Axis, 36896CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, 4440Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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“You Need a Month’s Holiday Just to Get over It!” Exploring Young People’s Lived Experiences of the UN Climate Change Negotiations. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14074259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite youth organisations having participated as a recognised constituency (YOUNGO) in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for over a decade, few studies have explored their lived experiences of participation. Drawing upon deep ethnographic engagement with a member organisation of YOUNGO conducted between 2015 and 2018, this paper applies the “7P” model from the Youth Studies literature to explore youth participation in the UNFCCC from seven intersecting lenses: Purpose, Positioning, Perspectives, Power Relations, Protection, Place, and Process. This yields many insights into how youth participants negotiate sustainability in this context, including the Purposes or drivers motivating their participation, the ways in which youth are Positioned within the UNFCCC, the asymmetrical Power Relations they have to navigate, as well as the logistical challenges relating to their Protection, including their physical safety and psychological wellbeing. Based on rich empirical findings, we amend the 7P model of youth participation, replacing Process, which we argue is more of a methodological than an analytical concern, with Psychological Factors, which we propose is a key factor in shaping youth participation in negotiations of sustainability.
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Finnish University Students’ Views on Climate Change Education and Their Own Ability to Act as Climate Educators. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci12030169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change (CC) has widespread impacts on human and natural systems and thus threatens the future of contemporary youths. Only a few studies on climate change education (CCE) have been published in Finland, and no research has been conducted on upper secondary education. Thus, this study investigated Finnish university students’ views on CCE in upper secondary schools. According to them, the most common goals in CCE are increasing and structuring knowledge, developing thinking skills, and encouraging action both today and in the future. The respondents considered preconceived notions and opinions stemming from their inner circles, the media, and social debate to be the most difficult factor in teaching about CC. CCE was perceived to provide either a weak or relatively weak capacity to follow a climate-friendly lifestyle. By increasing and diversifying teaching and strengthening multidisciplinarity, climate-friendly lifestyles can be improved. The respondents’ views on current and future CCE differed most clearly concerning motivation and inclusion, which are not prevalent in contemporary teaching. The results indicate, however, that the university students were motivated to increase and develop CCE, and according their answers, their own capacity to address different aspects of CCE was relatively good.
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Martin G, Reilly K, Everitt H, Gilliland JA. Review: The impact of climate change awareness on children's mental well-being and negative emotions - a scoping review. Child Adolesc Ment Health 2022; 27:59-72. [PMID: 34873823 DOI: 10.1111/camh.12525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is a threat to children's physical health, but there are also implications for mental well-being. Additionally, children may experience negative emotional responses stemming from an overarching awareness of the imminent threats to the planet due to climate change. METHOD Using a scoping review, we examined the impact of climate change awareness on children's mental well-being and negative emotions. Our aim was to identify and describe the existing literature and highlight priorities for future research. Three specific objectives guided the review: (1) to identify and provide an overview of research regarding the impact of climate change awareness on children's mental well-being and negative emotions; (2) to summarize and clarify the terminology related to climate change awareness and children's mental well-being and negative emotions; and (3) to make recommendations for areas of future research. RESULTS Thirty-three articles were included in a narrative synthesis. Many articles were reviews or editorials/commentaries. Of the empirical research, most were from Europe, North America, and Australia. The articles emphasized a large range of negative emotions that children felt about climate change, with anxiety and worry being the most researched and discussed. CONCLUSIONS The research on the impact of awareness of climate change on children's mental well-being and negative emotions is in its early phases. Efforts are needed to advance conceptual clarity and operationalize concepts. Additionally, there is a need for research into the impact of climate change awareness on children's mental well-being and negative emotions among a greater diversity of people and places. Existing studies provide an encouraging basis from which to develop future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Martin
- Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada.,Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kristen Reilly
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Haley Everitt
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jason A Gilliland
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
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8
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Sciberras E, Fernando JW. Climate change-related worry among Australian adolescents: an eight-year longitudinal study. Child Adolesc Ment Health 2022; 27:22-29. [PMID: 34766705 DOI: 10.1111/camh.12521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worry about climate change may be associated with poorer mental health but also with greater political engagement. We determined trajectories of climate change-related worry over adolescence and whether these were associated with depression symptoms and greater engagement with news and politics in late adolescence. METHODS At ages 10-11, 12-13, 16-17 and 18-19 years, adolescents participating in the Kindergarten cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children rated their worry about climate change. At age 18-19 years, participants reported on depression symptoms and engagement with news and politics. Latent profile analysis determined trajectories of climate change-related worry across all time points (N = 2244). Linear regression analyses examined the association between trajectories and outcomes at 18-19 years. RESULTS Thirteen per cent (n = 290) of adolescents had high persistent worry. The largest proportions had moderate (n = 559, 24.9%) or increasing worry (n = 546, 24.3%), followed by persistent low worry (n = 376, 16.8%), slightly decreasing worry (n = 297, 13.2%) and steeply decreasing worry (n = 176, 7.8%). Adolescents with high persistent worry had higher depression symptoms at age 18-19 years compared to the moderate group, while those with increasing worry did not. The high persistent and increasing worry groups reported greater engagement with news and politics across several measures. CONCLUSION This is the first study to track climate-related worry and outcomes in young people across adolescence. A substantial number of Australian adolescents experience high or increasing worry about climate change, which is associated with greater societal engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Sciberras
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
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Galway LP, Esquega E, Jones-Casey K. "Land is everything, land is us": Exploring the connections between climate change, land, and health in Fort William First Nation. Soc Sci Med 2022; 294:114700. [PMID: 35007947 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The myriad and cumulative impacts of climate change on land, communities, and health are increasingly evident worldwide. Throughout 2019 and 2020, Fort William First Nation and researchers at Lakehead University conducted a project to document and understand connections among climate change, land, and health from the perspective of Elders, knowledge keepers, and community members with close ties to the land. Fort William First Nation is an Anishinaabe community located on the shores of Lake Superior/Kitchigami in Northern Ontario and within Robinson-Superior Treaty territory. This paper describes the analysis of interviews with 22 community members. Two-Eyed Seeing, an approach that centers the working together of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges and peoples and demands respectful relationship building, guided our project and analysis. Our analysis identified five themes: 1) observations and experiences of changes on the land, 2) lack of care and respect for Mother Earth as the root cause of climate change, 3) healthy land, healthy people, 4) youth and future generations, and 5) (re-)connecting with land and culture. 'All our Relations' is a thread woven across these themes emphasizing that climate change is understood and experienced through relationships and relationality. As concluding thoughts and reflections, we share three specific offerings of particular relevance to those engaging in climate change and health research and action with Indigenous peoples and communities. First, this research has highlighted the importance of explicitly centering land when exploring the links between climate change and health. Second, we reflect on the value of both the Two-Eyed Seeing approach and the Medicine Wheel in guiding climate change and health research. Third, we argue for an explicit focus on relationships and relationality in efforts aimed at understanding and addressing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P Galway
- Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth Esquega
- Fort William First Nation, 90 Anemki Drive, Fort William First Nation, ON, Canada
| | - Kelsey Jones-Casey
- Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
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Bonell A, Badjie J, Jammeh S, Ali Z, Hydara M, Davies A, Faal M, Ahmed AN, Hand W, Prentice AM, Murray KA, Scheelbeek P. Grassroots and Youth-Led Climate Solutions From The Gambia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:784915. [PMID: 35462834 PMCID: PMC9021377 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.784915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and environmental degradation are among the greatest threats to human health. Youth campaigners have very effectively focused global attention on the crisis, however children from the Global South are often under-represented (sometimes deliberately) in the dialogue. In The Gambia, West Africa, the impacts of climate change are already being directly experienced by the population, and this will worsen in coming years. There is strong government and community commitment to adapt to these challenges, as evidenced by The Gambia currently being the only country on target to meet the Paris agreement according to the Nationally Determined Contributions, but again children's voices are often missing-while their views could yield valuable additional insights. Here, we describe a "Climate Change Solutions Festival" that targeted and engaged school children from 13 to 18 years, and is to our knowledge, the first peer-to-peer (and student-to-professional) learning festival on climate change solutions for students in The Gambia. The event gave a unique insight into perceived climate change problems and scalable, affordable and sometimes very creative solutions that could be implemented in the local area. Logistical and practical methods for running the festival are shared, as well as details on all solutions demonstrated in enough detail to be duplicated. We also performed a narrative review of the most popular stalls to explore the scientific basis of these solutions and discuss these in a global context. Overall, we find extremely strong, grass-roots and student engagement in the Gambia and clear evidence of learning about climate change and the impacts of environmental degradation more broadly. Nevertheless, we reflect that in order to enact these proposed local solutions further steps to evaluate acceptability of adoption, feasibility within the communities, cost-benefit analyses and ability to scale solutions are needed. This could be the focus of future experiential learning activities with students and partnering stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Bonell
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Ana Bonell
| | - Jainaba Badjie
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Sariba Jammeh
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Zakari Ali
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | | | | | | | - Aliyu Nuhu Ahmed
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - William Hand
- Banjul American International School, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Andrew M. Prentice
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Kris A. Murray
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Scheelbeek
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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