Youth Mental Health, Positive Psychology, and Climate Change: A Call to Action — ASN Events
  1. Schedule
  2. Plenary Panel - Youth Mental Health, Positive Psychology, and Climate Change: A Call to Action
  3. Youth Mental Health, Positive Psychology, and Climate Change: A Call to Action

Youth Mental Health, Positive Psychology, and Climate Change: A Call to Action (#290)

Steve Leventhal 1 , Susan Clayton 2 , Jennifer Uchendu 3 , Maria Sirois 4 , Holli-Anne Passmore 5
  1. CorStone, Baltimore, MD, United States
  2. College of Wooster, Ohio, USA
  3. SustyVibes, Lagos, Nigeria
  4. Wholebeing Institute, Hardwick, MA, USA
  5. Concordia University of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, USA

In this plenary, leading voices in the fields of psychology, mental health, and climate change come together for a provocative conversation on the challenges of 'eco-anxiety' and ‘ecological grief’ amongst youth, and the implications on definitions of 'good' mental health in the face of existential and far-reaching threat. As the intersection of climate change and mental health moves increasingly to the forefront of discussion amongst mental health professionals, important issues need to be addressed: Should climate change distress be viewed as dysfunctional thinking – to be diagnosed and treated? Or are these symptoms of anxiety, dread, grief and hopelessness healthy responses to environmental catastrophe, motivators for survival, calling out to us all for a shift in our connection to the Earth, to ourselves and each other, and in our fundamental definitions of ‘what makes a life worth living?’ 

In this session, we begin to address these questions with the intent to explore the potential – and limitations – of positive psychology-based approaches to these challenges, and catalyze more voices to join the conversation.

  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Environment and Nature, Mental Illness, Sustainability
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