Helping young people cope with eco-anxiety: a qualitative intervention study

Despite increasing accounts of climate- and eco-anxiety among young people, resources for adults to support them in coping with these emotions are limited, and research on interventions is scarce, but growing. This study addresses this gap by interviewing both participants in, and practitioners implementing, a five-session after-school intervention program aimed at helping young people cope with eco-anxiety. Interviews explored perceptions of helpful aspects and limitations of the program, and potential challenges in implemention. Through thematic analysis, we found that while individual emotion-regulation techniques (e.g. understanding, accepting, and verbalizing emotions) were perceived as a valuable new way for coping with difficult climate emotions, the social context was crucial for validation and normalisation. Learning about collective, rather than solely individual, forms of action was perceived as helpful and motivating. Reported program limitations included a perceived need for additional support in integrating learned strategies into daily life. Potential challenges for practitioners involved daring to stay with and validate difficult emotions, and being prepared to accommodate diverse emotional expressions, coping needs, and motivations within the group. This study advances theoretical understanding of coping with eco-anxiety, with particular attention to its social dimensions. Practical implications for educators and program designers working with eco-anxiety are discussed.