Undertaking the co-design of climate distress services for young people in British Columbia

This proposal aims to facilitate a new partnership between the Green Technology Education Centre (GTEC), the Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance (MHCCA/SFU), and youth and young adults, aged 16-24. Leveraging this partnership, we will convene and collaborate with youth to inform the development of potential GTEC campus- and digitally-based interventions for climate-related distress. The convening and collaboration activities will include two multi-stage focus groups and ongoing meetings between GTEC and MHCCA researchers. Each focus group cohort will consist of 6-12 young people, recruited through the MHCCA and GTEC professional networks and advertisements on Twitter and Facebook. Each focus group will be interviewed twice to: 1) Explore current reactions to climate change and 2) Develop ideas about educational and support services that GTEC can offer to support young people. These focus group interviews and ongoing meetings between GTEC and MHCCA team members will be leveraged to develop a CIHR project grant proposal that will aim to develop, pilot, and evaluate an intervention for climate change related distress among young people, aged 16-24.

Team members: Arden Henley (Green Technology Education Centre); Linda Thyer (Green Technology Education Centre); Andreea Bratu (UBC – School of Population and Public Health).

End of Award Update – November 2024

Results

The project’s findings vividly highlighted the emotional toll of climate change on young people, including heightened anxiety, feelings of uncertainty about the future, and a sense of betrayal by societal leaders. These insights provide a clear picture of the mental health challenges faced by young individuals in the context of climate change, informing the development of targeted support services. 

The project underscored the need for enhanced education on climate change and its impacts, as well as the importance of community-based programs. By advocating for the integration of climate education into school curricula and the establishment of supportive community initiatives, the project paves the way for more informed and resilient young populations. 

The project’s collaborative approach has set a precedent for future community-academic partnerships aimed at addressing complex societal issues like climate change. This model of cooperation ensures that interventions are both evidence-based and closely aligned with community needs and perspectives. 

The project’s work in designing and planning specific interventions, such as professional development courses for service providers and peer-to-peer support networks, offers a blueprint for practical strategies to combat climate distress. These planned interventions, once implemented, could serve as models for similar initiatives worldwide. 

Impact

The “Repairing the Social Contract” project has made significant strides in integrating the mental health impacts of climate change into the broader conversation on health care in British Columbia, catalyzing a shift towards recognizing and addressing climate distress among young people. By uncovering the profound emotional and psychological effects of climate change on youth and advocating for targeted educational and support services, the project has laid the groundwork for more informed, compassionate, and effective health care responses.  

Potential Influence

The “Repairing the Social Contract” project is poised to influence human health and health care significantly in British Columbia, and potentially on a national and international scale, by pioneering a holistic approach to integrating climate change into mental health care strategies. As the project develops targeted interventions and disseminates its findings, it is likely to inspire health care policies and practices that acknowledge and address the psychological impacts of climate change, encouraging a shift towards more resilient public health systems. Additionally, by serving as a model for collaborative, community-engaged research, the project could influence global health care paradigms, promoting the incorporation of environmental factors into mental health considerations and treatment protocols. 

Next Steps

We are launching an intervention series provincially to help communities act on these findings, supported by a $1.8 million dollar investment.