Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Goal Statement: To reduce the prevalence of eco-anxiety in adolescents and young adults from Chicago’s western neighborhoods and close suburbs Significant Findings: Eco-anxiety, “a chronic, [pervasive] unspecfied fear of environmental doom” (Dodds, 2021, p. 22) is emerging as a mental health issue among youth and young adults worldwide. Spurred by global warming, 53 percent of Americans are now “very” or “extremely” concerned about climate change (Leiserowitz, et al., 2023). Chicagoans are encountering more storms, poorer air quality, more health problems, and higher rates of high school depression and age-adjusted drug overdose (e.g., National Weather Service, n. d.; Chicago Department of Public Health, 2020; Whitmore-Williams, et al., 2017; Tsevreni, et al., 2023). Teens and young adults (notably, but not limited to Blacks and people of color) are particularly vulnerable as they encounter negative eco-events (both personally and through media exposure) and realize they will inherit a severely damaged environment they did nothing to cause. The goal of this portfolio is to introduce programs to reduce the prevalence of eco-anxiety by bolstering self-efficacy and personal as well as community resilience. Preventative programs can tap into ecological theory, social cognitive “learning” theory, and the principles of community organizing. Critical is to offer programs that appeal strongly to personal self-efficacy but provide collective intergenerational opportunities for environmental improvement. Active engagement is key. Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: § The target region is ethnically and racially diverse. Strategies and interventions need to be viable for whites, Blacks, and Latinos. § Develop a psychoeduction program in a neutral setting to establish a firm foundation of baseline knowledge about the pervasiveness, risks, and consequence of global warming and climate change. Engage in supportive discussions about direct and/or vicarious eco-related events and concerns to break down feelings of eco-isolation. § Gain an understanding of how environmental laws and environmental programs are developed by reaching out to local Cook County agencies, such as the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Environmental Council. § Initiate an eco-focused community organizing effort that follows the Steps for Resilience process (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, n.d.) and engages youth in key roles alongside supportive, knowledgeable adults and relevant agency personnel. Identify and focus on an eco-issue meaningful to the immediate neighborhood to create positive momentum. § Search online and network with colleagues to identify potential grant opportunities consistent with the community organizing effort. Tap into creative resources (e.g., the father of a fellow student in this class) with knowledge and expertise on environmental grants. Engage youth in all phases of this effort, especially brainstorming. Encourage youth involved in any of the above efforts to create a social media outreach campaign focused on sharing their environmental knowledge and experiences. Establish “environmental ambassador” role (similar to a social media “brand ambassador, but focused on eco-issues).
