A treasure trove of resource links compiled by Caroline Hickman: leading researcher into eco-anxiety within the young generation …
On 2nd March 2026, MHSG held an evening devoted to the growing and worrying issue of eco-anxiety – particularly amongst children and young people, who are statistically the most impacted.
We were honoured to welcome to our panel psychotherapist, writer, University of Bath research fellow and leading psychosocial researcher in the field of Climate Anxiety, Caroline Hickman, whose international research across 10,000 children in 2021, revealed that 3/4 were “very frightened” by climate change and its effects. Caroline has kindly given us a treasure trove of related resources to share with you, all listed and linked below.
Speaking to and for the younger generation, we were also thrilled to host Amy Meek, co-founder, with her sister Amy, when just 10 and 12 years old, of Kids Against Plastic. It was their response to their own climate anxiety: focusing their worries on tangible action. Kids Against Plastic is now a global, award-winning charity and Amy has spoken to young people around the world, to three Parliaments, presented TEDx talks and been awarded by the PM and by Pride of Britain. An inspiring, extraordinary young woman.
In a similar vein, our third speaker, psychotherapist Sue Heap, spoke of her own leveraging of fears for her grandchildren’s generation, by ploughing her vast energies into climate activism. It was an illuminating, concerning evening unpicking the problem and offering expert advice on how to manage it and how to talk to our young people about it.
Further resources …
If you missed the talk, you can catch up on it through our YouTube channel, where you’ll also find a growing archive of talks by authors, professionals, community members, academics and installers on a diverse range of topics affected by and addressing climate change.
For our Climate Anxiety evening, Caroline Hickman produced a formidable list of recommended resources linked below, for you to read, watch and discover more on the subject through. We are very grateful to her for this valuable line-up, cherry-picked by a leading light in the field of eco-anxiety in the younger generation.
Website (links to articles & talks)
TEDx Talk on Climate Change and Emotional Responses
BBC Ideas Short Film
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/how-to-talk-with-children-about-climate-change/p0fgdjtz
Book (free download)
On Being a Therapist at a Time of Ecological Emergency. Routledge. (Co-edited book C.Hickman in Anderson, J et al 2024)
Four articles on climate psychology, children & young people published in The Conversation (2019).
- https://theconversation.com/im-up-late-at-night-worrying-about-global-warming-please-can-you-put-my-mind-at-rest-124940
- https://theconversation.com/im-a-psychotherapist-heres-what-ive-learned-from-listening-to-children-talk-about-climate-change-123183
- https://theconversation.com/what-psychotherapy-can-do-for-the-climate-and-biodiversity-crises-116977
- https://theconversation.com/a-psychotherapist-explains-why-some-adults-are-reacting-badly-to-young-climate-strikers-125079
Greenpeace UK guides, which aim to help teachers and parents/carers discuss the climate crisis with their pupils and children.
Climate Psychology Alliance, Resources for young people https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/index.php/component/content/article/useful-links?catid=13&Itemid=101
BACP resources page
https://www.bacp.co.uk/cpd-learning/cpd-hubplus/explore-content/climate-change
Ministry of Eco Education Resources
https://www.ministryofeco.org/curriculum
Podcasts (For the Climate Psychology Alliance)
www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/index.php/component/content/article/podcasts?catid=15&Itemid=101
Eco-anxiety, eco-despair & eco-empathy
Climate Change Grief & Hope
https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/podcasts/358-caroline-and-verity-in-conversation
Media & Talks
The End of the World Has Already Happened (Timothy Morton Documentary BBC Radio 4)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rt61t (BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00050qr (BBC Radio 4 Costing the Earth, Eco Anxiety, May 2019)
Iai news (27th April 2020): Covid, climate and biodiversity anxiety in young people
https://iai.tv/articles/urgent-and-immediate-danger-covid-19-climate-crisis-auid-1484
Natural History Museum – Eco-anxiety into Eco-action
19th April 2021
London Climate Action Week Climate Psychology Panel (Nov 2020)
Navigating the emotional overwhelm of the climate crisis – panel at LCAW
WHO panel Millenial SDG’s A generation worried sick about the climate crisis (Nov 2020)
Psychotherapy & eco-anxiety (April 2021)
https://earther.gizmodo.com/therapists-are-reckoning-with-eco-anxiety-1846686112
The Guardian (8th October 2020) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/08/anxiety-climate-crisis-trauma-paralysing-effect-psychologists
Rolling Stone (27th March 2020)
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/children-climate-crisis-eco-anxiety-968673
UKCP New Psychotherapist (Autumn, 2019)
https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NEW-PSYCHOTHERAPIST_AUTUMN2019_lo.pdf
Time Magazine (21st Nov 2019)
https://time.com/5735388/climate-change-eco-anxiety
New Scientist (12th October 2019)
New Scientist (21st Oct 2019)
The Guardian (8th Dec 2019) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/08/a-z-of-climate-anxiety-how-to-avoid-meltdown
