Background: Young people are particularly vulnerable to climate distress due to limited political and economic power and ongoing neural and cognitive development, making it harder to cope with stress and uncertainty. They will also be the population most exposed to the long-term impacts of climate change, prompting calls for research on the mental health effects of prolonged climate distress.


Methods: We conducted a prospective study of climate distress and its correlates and consequences over one year (2020-2021) in Australian young adults aged 19-21. First, cross-sectional analyses identify characteristics associated with climate distress. Second, longitudinal analyses examine how climate distress predicts mental health and well-being outcomes affected by prolonged stress.


Results: In cross-sectional regression analyses, identifying as female or gender diverse, not being employed nor in education or training (NEET), mental distress, and altruism were all significantly associated with climate distress (p <.05). In longitudinal linear mixed-models, climate distress significantly increased depression and generalized anxiety symptoms and reduced drug use over a one-year period (p <.05). Climate distress did not significantly impact specific anxiety symptoms, sleep quality or alcohol consumption over time. Estimated marginal means analysis showed that even low levels of climate distress estimated clinically relevant levels of depression over a one-year period.


Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that climate distress tends to be experienced by those that are already disposed to experiencing poor mental health, demonstrating that the mental health consequences of climate change may be considered one way in which climate change exacerbates pre-existing inequalities. Our findings also contribute to preliminary understanding of the longer-term impacts of climate distress on general and mental health. Our results aid in the development of intervention priorities to address climate distress symptoms and to lessen their impact on vulnerable groups and the wider mental-health crisis as climate change continues to worsen.