Eco-anxiety: Young Canadians report climate change impact on their mental health
CTV
Young Canadians and public health professionals say 'eco-anxiety' is on the rise among people who feel hopeless or unable to tackle climate change crises.
Some public health experts say it’s all taking an emotional toll on many young Canadians who’ve essentially been born into a planet-wide climate crisis.
“You're not really functional. You feel like every effort doesn't matter anymore, because it's such a big issue,”Manvi Bhalla, co-founder of the national youth-led nonprofit Shake Up The Establishment, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Thursday.
Bhalla and others have been increasingly using the term “eco-anxiety” to describe what they’re feeling. And it can lead to a vicious cycle of emotions including depression, resentment, and fear.
“Once you have that fear at all, it's impossible to get rid of it,” she said, adding that feeling overwhelmed may then deter one from continuing to go green or stop them from fighting for systemic change.
