About
Young people across Canada and around the world are disproportionately experiencing the mental health impacts of the climate and ecological crises, including higher rates of distress, grief, and fear about their futures. Amplifying youth voices, supporting their capacity to cope with climate distress, and facilitating conditions for active hope are crucial approaches to enabling climate-resilient futures. This is the focus of a participatory action research study funded by CIHR, led by Dr. Jo Henderson in collaboration with Swelen Andari, Director Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at CAMH. Using the McCain Model of Youth Engagement, the project aims to advance emerging research in climate distress, climate action, and hope to improve the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of youth facing climate change. The study includes a scoping review on hope and climate change, Photovoice sessions exploring Active Hope, collaborative adaptation of Macy & Johnstone’s (2022) Active Hope framework with and for youth, and co-creation of a knowledge product detailing the adaptation’s core components for future feasibility testing across various settings including Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario. The project centers intergenerational, transdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral partnerships that bring together community, research, clinical, and policy approaches to advance climate resilience and support youth mental health while promoting their agency and engagement in climate action safely.
Lead(s)
