Climate Activism; a Remedy for Climate Change Anxiety and Mental Health

Climate change anxiety (CCA), is defined broadly as negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses associated with concerns about climate change. Climate change is widely recognized as one of the most serious global health threats of the 21st century, threatening public health worldwide as increasing evidence indicates that climate change will have far-reaching impacts on human health, including mental. Although climate change anxiety is relatively new, a large body of literature has investigated the mental health consequences of weather-related disasters, showing elevated rates of common psychiatric conditions like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and a growing number of studies also suggest that rising temperatures can impair mental health and increase risk for suicidal behavior. Engaging in climate action/ activism in the face of climate change may be a way to regain power and build agency, which may, in turn, be associated with better mental health. Data for the study were collected from 384 youths aged between 18 – 35 years in 4 local government areas in Benue State namely; Gwer-East, Makurdi, Oju and Vandeikya. Makurdi had 104 respondents, Vandeikya had 98, Gwer-East had 94 while Oju had 88 respondents. Both interviews and questionnaire were used to collect data from the respondents on climate change anxiety and the role of climate activism in reducing anxiety. The study found that 67% of the respondents were anxious of climate change, 73.4% believe that climate activism reduces the level of anxiety. The result further suggests that those who have access to information are more anxious and have a higher propensity of mental health disorders. The study recommends intensive climate change awareness creation and activism among young people in order to remedy the anxiety that leads to mental health disorders.