{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","title":"Understanding Climate Anxiety in Youths - a Mind the Kids podcast","description":"This episode of the Mind the Kids podcast features Dr. Joanne Park, clinical psychologist and Principal Investigator of the Parenting Resilient Kids (Park) Lab at Mount Royal University, Canada. Hosted by Clara Faria, the conversation explores emerging research on “climate worry” in early adolescence, drawing on Dr. Park’s recent publication in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.\n\nDr. Park examines whether concerns about climate change represent a distinct psychological construct or are simply an extension of generalised anxiety. The discussion unpacks the difference between affective climate worry—emotional responses to climate change—and cognitive climate worry, which reflects more developed fears about future impact. Importantly, the findings suggest that climate worry is not only common among younger adolescents but may also have unique associations with wellbeing, independent of general anxiety.\n\nThe episode also highlights key developmental, social, and gender-related factors shaping how young people experience climate-related distress. Dr. Park discusses why girls and gender-diverse adolescents may report higher levels of climate worry, and considers how clinicians, educators, and parents can respond without over-pathologising what may be a rational reaction to the climate crisis.\n\nThis conversation is essential listening for clinicians, researchers, and educators interested in child and adolescent mental health, particularly those working with anxiety, emotional development, and the psychological impact of global challenges. It also offers practical insight into how to support young people in managing climate-related concerns through adaptive coping and resilience-building strategies.\n\nRead the CAMH journal paper ‘Prevalence, conceptual distinctiveness, and cross-sectional correlates of climate worry in Canadian adolescents’ - https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70076\nJoanne L. Park, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Brae Anne McArthur, Suzanne Tough, Sheri Madigan\nFirst published: 18 February 2026\n\nGet a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBW\n\nVisit https://www.acamh.org\nFacebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH\nInstagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh\nBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social\nX https://x.com/acamh","author_name":"'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast","author_url":"https://audioboom.com/channels/4939688-mind-the-kids-an-acamh-podcast","provider_name":"Audioboom","provider_url":"https://audioboom.com","width":480,"height":95,"thumbnail_url":"https://audioboom.com/i/43655111/600x600/c","thumbnail_width":600,"thumbnail_height":600,"html":""}