Introduction
In 2023 a team of Australian researchers from the University of Queensland, the University of NSW and the Sunrise Project began a research project investigating whether there are any connections between climate activism and positive or negative health experiences. The team wanted to learn more about whether people’s existing health experiences affected how, and whether they took part in activism.
The first stage of the project involved looking through research collections to uncover what was already known about this topic. This article summarises what they found. This article is co-authored by Ans Vercammen, Charlie Wood and Jason Wu.
Why is this Topic Important?
Exploring the link between climate activism and its impact on our mental and physical health is essential. There are over 1,500 groups across Australia trying to drive action on climate change (see Movement Monitor) in which thousands and thousands of people are active. Yet we only know a little bit about how this activism can generate some positive as well as negative impacts for those activists. For example, we know that when people join forces to address climate issues, it can empower them and foster a sense of unity, often leading to positive mental health outcomes. However, activism can also lead to burnout, frustration and stress.
But our knowledge base about how activism and health might interact together is virtually empty. Even though there are thousands of people engaging in climate activism across Australia, rigorous research on the specific health effects of engaging in climate activism—compared to individual environmental actions like recycling—is still in its infancy.
We also don’t know much about the temporal relationship between activism and health; that is, how climate activism might cause health outcomes, or how health experiences might impact participation in climate activism. Our project aimed to help build our research knowledge in this area.
What did we do?
The first stage of the project involved reviewing the academic literature to see if other researchers had already explored this issue. The research team did a search in 2022 of Pubmed and Scopus, two academic databases which together provide specialised, curated and extensive coverage of peer-reviewed and published academic research across the health and social science fields.
The research team searched for words associated with climate and health within these database, and found 5,928 potential articles. The team then reviewed the title and abstract for each of these articles, finding that 101 of those might be suitable. They then read each of those articles and found that just 6 focused on the topic of climate activism and health. They also searched the reference lists of those 6 articles and found another two that also covered the topic of climate activism and health.
What did the Research say about Climate Activism and Health?
A summary of the findings of the eight articles included in this research project are included below. They encompass very mixed data and findings.
On the positive side, several studies highlighted benefits of participating in climate activism ranging from feelings of solidarity, hope, optimism, excitement, to an increased sense of responsibility and empowerment.
Engaging in climate activism was also linked to feeling an increased sense of purpose. Some articles also argued that there may be evidence that participating in climate activism could buffer against the mental health challenges associated with climate change anxiety, but they didn’t have specific empirical data to test this idea.
The research also identified some negative impacts of participating in climate activism. These included burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, and feelings of uncertainty, fear, despair, hopelessness, and guilt. These effects were found across multiple studies. Some studies suggested that participating in climate activism might be linked with worse mental health outcomes compared to individual climate actions (such as buying renewable energy for your home usage).
The biggest gap in the research that the team found related to links between physical health experiences and climate activism. Almost all studies only considered mental health, with only one study noting some physical health effects – specifically tiredness and exhaustion – among climate activists.
What Research is needed to Build on our Understanding about Climate Activism and Health?
While the eight articles showed some useful and interesting results, there were so many differences between them that it makes it very difficult to draw clear conclusions about climate activism and health might interact.
The research team looked across the articles to come up with a list of suggestions for how research on this topic could be advanced. These suggestions were:
- Define it!
Develop and give explicit definitions of mental health terms such as “well-being,” “burnout,” and “stress,” in each study. It is important to be consistent with terms, both to help ensure these concepts are quantified or clinically defined, as well as to facilitate clearer analysis and comparison across studies. - Clarify it!
Distinguish between mental health constructs and affective responses such as anxiety, hope, and worry. Being clearer about what actual health constructs are being measured will greatly help in building out understanding about the specific mental and physical health impacts of climate activism and vice versa. - Activism or Climate?
Make sure studies clearly link participant health outcomes to their direct engagement in climate activism, as opposed to general concerns about climate change.
- Measure over Time
Build on one-off studies like the single survey or interview projects found in the eight articles to get data over time. These longitudinal studies help work out the directionality and causality of any relationships between climate activism and health experiences. - Collective or Private?
Make sure the research examines climate activism (collective behaviours like joining an environmental group) rather than private pro-climate behaviours (like using renewable energy at home). Better yet, study both to better understand how different forms of climate related behaviours impact individuals and their health experiences. - Risky or Not?
Compare the effects of different types of activism, from low-risk, low-commitment activities like signing petitions to high-risk, high-commitment actions such as organising sit-ins, to determine if and how the level of engagement affects health outcomes. - Time Matters
Examine how the duration of participating in climate activism might impact health and vice versa. Consider whether long-term activism leads to different health outcomes compared to short-term involvement.
There are so many opportunities to do more research on climate activism to help build our understanding about how health experiences and climate activism interact. We urgently need a more comprehensive and detailed body of knowledge that helps to fully understand the health implications of engaging in climate activism.
Empirically tested findings can help us build evidenced based guides to support activists as build a stronger, healthier, happier, and more sustainable climate movement.
The 8 Articles
Here is a quick summary of the findings of the eight articles included in this research project.
1 – “These are the very small things that lead us to that goal”: Youth climate strike organizers talk about activism empowering and taxing experiences
Eight Youth Climate Strike activists in Poland who were interviewed said their participation was mostly an empowering experience. They felt increased agency, a sense of belonging and personal growth, which compensated for negative experiences in balancing life demands, conflicts and overwork.
Budziszewska, M., & Głód, Z. (2021). “These are the very small things that lead us to that goal”: Youth climate strike organizers talk about activism empowering and taxing experiences. Sustainability, 13(19), 11119.
2 – Do all dimensions of sustainable consumption lead to psychological well-being? Empirical evidence from young consumers
This survey of 423 young consumers found that doing things like purchasing green products could increase people’s psychological well-being, whereas engaging in activism behaviours was linked to lower levels of well-being.
Carrero, I., Valor, C., & Redondo, R. (2020). Do all dimensions of sustainable consumption lead to psychological well-being? Empirical evidence from young consumers. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 33, 145-170.
3 – Nature connectedness in the climate change context: Implications for climate action and mental health
This article used survey data collected from 3,875 Australians after the 2019-2020 bushfires and found that taking part in individual climate action (e.g., recycling) reduced their sense of psychological distress, while taking part in climate activism (e.g., attending a protest) increased their sense of psychological distress.
Curll, S. L., Stanley, S. K., Brown, P. M., & O’Brien, L. V. (2022). Nature connectedness in the climate change context: Implications for climate action and mental health. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 8(4), 448.
4 – Hope, coping and eco-anxiety: Young people’s mental health in a climate-impacted Australia
This study used data from 14 interviews and 46 surveys from young Australians aged 18-24 years old and found that participating in climate activism led to feelings of optimism and control.
Gunasiri, H., Wang, Y., Watkins, E. M., Capetola, T., Henderson-Wilson, C., & Patrick, R. (2022). Hope, coping and eco-anxiety: Young people’s mental health in a climate-impacted Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5528.
5 – Engaging with climate change: Comparing the cultures of science and activism
Six climate scientists and ten climate activists were interviewed to explore the ethical and emotional challenges they faced, finding that climate activists were more able to manage the psychological difficulties they faced due to a supportive culture that helped them sustain their commitment over time.
Hoggett, P., & Randall, R. (2018). Engaging with climate change: Comparing the cultures of science and activism. Environmental Values, 27(3), 223-243
6 – Learning from young people engaged in climate activism: The potential of collectivising despair and hope
This study explored data collected from five young Aotearoa/New Zealand activists aged 18-29. Activists talked about despair, hope and other emotions. Two activists experienced severe burnout, while connecting with others through climate activism inspired hope.
Nairn, K. (2019). Learning from young people engaged in climate activism: The potential of collectivizing despair and hope. Young, 27(5), 435-450.
7 – Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer
Schwartz, S. E., Benoit, L., Clayton, S., Parnes, M. F., Swenson, L., & Lowe, S. R. (2023). Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer. Current Psychology, 42(20), 16708-16721.
Survey data from 284 students aged 18-35 in the United States found that engaging in climate activism could help protest against depression in adults that are experiencing climate anxiety.
8 – From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing
This study using data from 3,063 Australians found that people who engaged in more climate activism behaviours also had higher feelings of eco-depression and eco-anger. People who reported feeling more eco-anxious were less likely to participate in climate activism.
Stanley, S. K., Hogg, T. L., Leviston, Z., & Walker, I. (2021). From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 1, 100003.
Explore Further
- Movement Monitor
- 10 Tips for how the Climate Movement can Improve Experiences for Activists with Diverse Health Needs
- Resources to Cope With Climate Anxiety and Grief
- Healing Our Climate Grief
- There’s No Place for Burnout in a Burning World
- Climactic Podcasts On Climate Grief and Resilience