Friday December 8, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 8, 2023

The Silent Pleas: Children’s Direct Appeals to Santa Reflect Growing Anxiety

As the festive season draws near, the typical scene of children sitting on Santa’s lap to share their Christmas wishes takes a profound turn. The customary requests for the latest toys are replaced by heartfelt pleas for something far more basic – food, proper housing, and a world free from the shadows of climate change and global conflicts.

A recent report from the American Psychological Association, in collaboration with ecoAmerica, sheds light on the profound impact of climate change on the mental health of children and adolescents. It paints a distressing picture where environmental events linked to climate change, such as extreme weather, heatwaves, and poor air quality, act as triggers for mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to cognitive impairment and aggression.

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The stressors don’t end with the direct impacts on children. Parents, struggling with the hardships associated with environmental events like extreme heat or wildfires, find their own mental health compromised. This, in turn, influences the well-being of their children, creating a ripple effect of trauma that extends beyond generations.

The report underscores the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that the psychological harms are unfolding right now for children and youth. It’s not a concern that can be shelved for future resolutions; society must act immediately.

The anxieties begin even before birth, with prenatal exposure to weather disasters, high temperatures, and pollution increasing the risk of a range of behavioural and developmental issues. These consequences, affecting the development of the nervous system, are often irreversible, setting the stage for a lifetime of challenges.

For infants and young children, exposure to climate change-related events and the news reports about them can lead to anxiety, sleep troubles, PTSD, disrupted cognitive development, and major depressive disorder. Adolescents, already grappling with the complexities of adolescence, face additional mental health risks as climate change disrupts their lives, potentially canceling classes, damaging their homes, or leading to food insecurity.

What makes the situation more poignant is the anxiety young people harbour about the future. They are keenly aware of the impending consequences of climate change and express deep concern about the perceived inaction of governments and authority figures. This anxiety, according to the report, is linked to heightened risks of anxiety, depression, strained social relationships, and even suicide.

As we approach the holiday season, the traditional scene of children sharing their Christmas wishes with Santa takes on a new gravity. The requests go beyond the realm of toys and gadgets; children are now directly appealing to Santa for a solution to the cost of living crisis, action against climate change, and an end to global conflicts in places like Ukraine and the Middle East.

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The report highlights that not all young people experience the mental health impacts of climate change equally. Those from marginalized or low-income backgrounds are disproportionately affected, lacking the resources to cope with extreme weather events. The solution, the report suggests, lies in collective action. School systems must play a more active role by designing protective facilities and incorporating climate change education into the curriculum. Health care professionals should screen for climate-related distress among youth, recognizing the urgency of addressing this pressing issue.

The responsibility, however, does not rest solely on professionals. As a society, we must recognize that children are the future, and their mental well-being is intertwined with the world we create for them. This holiday season should serve as a reminder not only to fulfill material wishes but to address the deeper concerns expressed in these direct appeals – a plea for a world where children can grow up without the looming shadows of climate change and global conflicts. It’s a call to action that cannot be ignored, for the sake of the children and the future they envision. (AI)