Supporting Children’s Well-being and Building Resilience as Our Climate Changes — A Guide for Health Professionals
This guide outlines evidence-backed strategies for health professionals to help children navigate climate-related stress and build resilience, i.e., the ability to adapt, recover, and grow through adversity, anxiety, or setbacks.
This is the final blog in our Mental Health Guides 2025 series.
Children are increasingly affected by the mental and emotional toll of climate change and extreme weather. As a clinician, public health worker, or health educator, you hold a unique position of trust. You can play a key role in recognizing early signs of distress and connecting children with the right level of support. This guide outlines evidence-backed strategies for health professionals to help children navigate climate-related stress and build resilience, i.e., the ability to adapt, recover, and grow through adversity, anxiety, or setbacks.
By identifying concerns early, scaling support, and integrating climate-aware care, YOU — the health professional — can help children and youth navigate the climate future with confidence.
The content of this guide is adapted from the Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023, a collaborative publication by ecoAmerica and the American Psychological Association. Please refer to page 37 of the report for additional guiding resources specifically for Mental Health Professionals.
To learn more about caring for mental health in a changing climate at any age, also refer to our Mental Health and Our Changing Climate, 2021 Edition.
ecoAmerica is a nonprofit organization that moves society toward climate solutions by engaging and supporting trusted national institutions to inspire and empower their millions of members in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate for ambitious, just, climate mitigation, resilience, and restoration.
American Psychological Association is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with 173,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members and supporters. APA promotes the advancement, communication, and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.