Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review
As the climate crisis intensifies, young children are increasingly exposed to psychological stress linked to environmental change, manifesting in emerging forms of anxiety, sadness, and guilt. Although climate anxiety in children is gaining international recognition as a legitimate mental health con...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Journal of Childhood, Education and Society
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Childhood, Education & Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/558 |
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| author | Jane Spiteri |
| author_facet | Jane Spiteri |
| author_sort | Jane Spiteri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the climate crisis intensifies, young children are increasingly exposed to psychological stress linked to environmental change, manifesting in emerging forms of anxiety, sadness, and guilt. Although climate anxiety in children is gaining international recognition as a legitimate mental health concern, little is known about how these emotions specifically develop in children under the age of eight. This paper presents the first comprehensive state-of-the-art (SotA) review of research on climate anxiety in early childhood, systematically mapping current knowledge, identifying key conceptual and methodological gaps, and proposing priorities for future inquiry. Findings reveal that empirical studies in this area remain scarce, are often adapted from adult-centered frameworks, and predominantly situated within Euro-Western contexts. The review argues for developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and interdisciplinary approaches that seriously engage with both the emotional experiences and agentic capacities of young children. By highlighting critical gaps and outlining future research directions, this review lays the foundation for a more inclusive, child-sensitive, and globally relevant research agenda on climate anxiety in early childhood. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df89ff99fe7e488992143ae24bcbc428 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2717-638X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Journal of Childhood, Education and Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Childhood, Education & Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-df89ff99fe7e488992143ae24bcbc4282025-08-20T03:50:32ZengJournal of Childhood, Education and SocietyJournal of Childhood, Education & Society2717-638X2025-07-016223024810.37291/2717638X.202562558546Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art reviewJane Spiteri0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6625-2372University of MaltaAs the climate crisis intensifies, young children are increasingly exposed to psychological stress linked to environmental change, manifesting in emerging forms of anxiety, sadness, and guilt. Although climate anxiety in children is gaining international recognition as a legitimate mental health concern, little is known about how these emotions specifically develop in children under the age of eight. This paper presents the first comprehensive state-of-the-art (SotA) review of research on climate anxiety in early childhood, systematically mapping current knowledge, identifying key conceptual and methodological gaps, and proposing priorities for future inquiry. Findings reveal that empirical studies in this area remain scarce, are often adapted from adult-centered frameworks, and predominantly situated within Euro-Western contexts. The review argues for developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and interdisciplinary approaches that seriously engage with both the emotional experiences and agentic capacities of young children. By highlighting critical gaps and outlining future research directions, this review lays the foundation for a more inclusive, child-sensitive, and globally relevant research agenda on climate anxiety in early childhood.https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/558climate anxietyclimate changeearly childhoodmental healthemotionsstate-of-the-art review (sota) |
| spellingShingle | Jane Spiteri Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review Journal of Childhood, Education & Society climate anxiety climate change early childhood mental health emotions state-of-the-art review (sota) |
| title | Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review |
| title_full | Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review |
| title_fullStr | Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review |
| title_short | Climate anxiety in early childhood: A state-of-the-art review |
| title_sort | climate anxiety in early childhood a state of the art review |
| topic | climate anxiety climate change early childhood mental health emotions state-of-the-art review (sota) |
| url | https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/558 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT janespiteri climateanxietyinearlychildhoodastateoftheartreview |