AccScience Publishing / GHES / Volume 2 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.36922/ghes.3172
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Parenting in a changing climate: The relationship between discussing climate change with children aged 5–11, family eco-behaviors, and climate change anxiety

Jessica Eve Jackson1* Rebecca Rawson2 Rory Colman3 Yasuhiro Kotera1 Michelle Brooks-Ucheaga3
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1 Department of Children and Young People’s Health Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
2 Department of Sustainability and Environment Management, School of Science, College of Science and Engineering, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
3 Department of Allied Healthcare, School of Nursing, College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
Submitted: 15 March 2024 | Accepted: 17 June 2024 | Published: 9 September 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Climate change has a substantial impact on human health, and the rising levels of climate change anxiety have led to a global call for action. However, data exploring the relationship between climate change, mental health, and individuals with parental responsibility is limited. This study examined the association between parental climate anxiety and their discussions with their children about climate change, eco-behaviors, and demographic factors. This cross-sectional study employed an anonymous online questionnaire comprised of the 22-item climate change anxiety and eco-behaviors validated scale, disseminated using a snowball sampling technique. Participants were eligible if they (i) were guardians with parental responsibilities of at least one primary school-age child (5 – 11 years old) and (ii) lived in the United Kingdom (UK). A total of 153 participants were included in the analysis. The findings revealed that parents who reported discussing climate change with their children, engaging in eco-friendly and pro-environmental actions, and noticing that their child/children were worried about climate change experienced higher levels of climate change anxiety. This study offers valuable insights into the nuanced engagements around climate change and mental health among those with parental responsibility in the UK. The implications of these findings extend to informing policies, interventions, and educational strategies aimed at supporting parents and guardians to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on mental health.

Keywords
Climate change
Parenting
Mental health
Eco-behavior
Climate change anxiety
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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