To Örebro University

Researchers have started to argue that global climate change is not only an environmental and societal problem but also could be seen as a psychological challenge, influencing the well-being of people and their sense of agency. This could be particularly true when it comes to young people. Studies have also shown that many in this group experience pessimism and hopelessness when it comes to the global future. In this presentation I will give an overview of my research concerning how young people, from 11-12 years of age to young adulthood, handle climate change at a psychological level.  I will start by describing three overarching coping strategies used to regulate worry and promote hope among children, adolescents and young adults. I will also touch upon age-differences that are of interest from a developmental perspective. I will then turn to some studies investigating the relation between these coping strategies and environmental engagement, on the one hand, and subjective well-being, on the other. Finally, I will touch upon some studies on how perceived communication patterns with parents, teachers, and friends relate to these coping strategies and how coping mediates the influence of different communication patterns on pro-environmental behavior. The conclusion is that young people are not passively overwhelmed by negative emotions concerning this problem but are actively dealing with them, but also that how adults communicate with them is related to whether they use constructive coping strategies or not.