Is climate change hurting teen mental health?

Impact: Public awareness, Quality of life, Environmental

Description of impact

Ground-breaking research lead by Dr. Gina Martin explores the impact of climate change on the mental health of Canadian teens. As the climate changes, there will be widespread environmental and social impact from rising temperatures to extreme weather events. Youth are particularly vulnerable to these effects and require supports that are meaningful to them.

Dr. Martin was featured in the third season of Athabasca University's Research with Reach video series. During a two-week campaign period in spring 2023, social media cuts were primarily featured on YouTube (3621 views) and LinkedIn (2608 engagements with 0.75% click-thru rate) and lead to several interviews on climate change and the impact on teen mental health. A panel discussion on CBC Radio's What on Earth aired more than 50 times on radio stations across Canada for a potential audience reach of 4.8 million and an earth day panel discussion on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen also had significant reach. Overall, these two interviews reached a potential audience of 14.8 million.
Category of impactPublic awareness, Quality of life, Environmental