Climate distress, climate-sensitive risk factors, and mental health among Tanzanian youth: a cross-sectional study

Background

Climate change threatens youth mental health through multiple mechanisms, yet empirical studies typically focus on single pathways. We explored feelings of distress over climate change among Tanzanian youth, considering associations with climate change awareness and climate-sensitive risk factors, and assessed how these factors relate to mental health.

Methods

Tanzanian youth (aged 18–23 years) from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Mbeya and Iringa regions of Tanzania were interviewed between Jan 25, and March 3, 2021, and included in this cross-sectional study. A threshold of at least 10 on the ten-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to classify symptom severity indicative of depression. Regardless of climate change awareness, respondents were asked about their feelings of distress on climate change using inclusive language (changing weather patterns or changing seasons). We estimated rate differences in climate change distress (slight or moderate or extreme vs none) by youth characteristics, extent of climate awareness, and climate-sensitive livelihoods (eg, agriculture, tending livestock) and climate-sensitive living conditions (eg, food or water insecurity), using generalised linear models. We compared depression prevalence by extent of climate change distress and climate-sensitive living conditions.

Findings

Among 2053 youth (1123 [55%] were male and 930 [45%] were female) included in this analysis, 946 (46%) had reported any distress about climate change. Distress was higher among female, more educated, more religious, older youth, and those working in extreme temperatures. Adjusting for climate awareness—a factor strongly associated with climate distress—helped to explain some of these associations. Depression was 23 percentage points (95% CI 17–28) higher among youth who had severe water insecurity than those who did not. Similarly, youth who had severe food insecurity had 23 percentage points higher depression (95% CI 17–28) compared with those who did not. Those reporting climate change distress also had worse mental health—extremely distressed youth had 18 percentage points (95% CI 6–30) higher depression than those reporting none.

Interpretation

Living in conditions worsened by climate change and feeling distressed over climate change have mental health implications among young people from low-resource settings, indicating that climate change can impact youth mental health through multiple pathways.

Funding

Erasmus Trustfonds, Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research, UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, Oak Foundation, UNICEF, UK's Department of International Development, the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency, Irish Aid.