OTTAWA — A growing number of Canadians are feeling the mental toll of climate change, with new research revealing that about 2.3 per cent of people in Canada experience climate anxiety at a “clinically significant” level — intense enough to disrupt their daily lives and emotional well-being.
The national study, published Tuesday in Nature Mental Health by researchers from the University of Alberta and Acadia University, is one of the first to quantify how climate change is affecting Canadians’ mental health. It found that severe climate anxiety — marked by symptoms such as obsessive worry, trouble concentrating, nightmares, and persistent dread — was most common among:
- Women, compared to men
- Younger Canadians, particularly teens and young adults
- People living in Northern and urban regions
- Low-income individuals
- Indigenous people, who reported the highest rates at nearly 10 per cent
Researchers said Indigenous communities face disproportionate climate impacts, including wildfires, melting sea ice, and shifting ecosystems, while also viewing environmental health as deeply connected to community well-being and identity.
The study surveyed 2,476 Canadians, using a standardized climate anxiety scale to assess how often thoughts about global warming interfered with sleep, focus, or daily functioning. Respondents were considered to have “clinically relevant” anxiety if these worries disrupted life at least occasionally. About 15 per cent of respondents reported at least one symptom of climate-related distress.
A second peer-reviewed study, published last month, found that 37 per cent of Canadian teenagers believe climate change is affecting their mental health. Among those, a quarter said the impact was “a lot.” Many expressed fears about the future, frustration with political inaction, and sadness over corporate pollution. One 18-year-old from New Brunswick said it made her “sad to know that big corporations that produce loads of carbon dioxide would rather have a lot of money than a healthy planet.”
Climate anxiety — sometimes called “eco-anxiety” — is defined as a heightened emotional distress about the impacts of global warming. Experts say some level of concern is natural and even productive, as it can motivate action, but severe anxiety can mimic generalized anxiety disorder, leading to obsessive thinking, avoidance behavior, and hopelessness.
The researchers noted that Canada’s rate of severe climate anxiety is lower than in other nations, such as Australia (9.4%), France (11.6%), and the United Kingdom (3.6%). However, they cautioned that the threshold used to define “clinically relevant” anxiety may be too high, meaning the true prevalence could be underestimated.
A 2022 federal report for the Public Health Agency of Canada warned that the mental health consequences of climate change are likely underrated and understudied, leaving public health systems underprepared. Beyond physical dangers like wildfires, air pollution, and heatwaves, the emotional weight of climate change may increasingly strain Canada’s mental health resources in the years ahead.
As one researcher put it, “Feeling anxious about climate change is a rational response to an irrational crisis — but for some, that fear has become overwhelming.”