Perspectives on Climate Change and Pediatric Mental Health: a Qualitative Analysis of Interviews with Researchers in...

There is a growing appreciation that climate change is affecting pediatric mental health, yet research in this field is in its infancy. The authors aimed to interview researchers in this space to identify themes that can help shape curricula and inform mentors guiding trainees entering this research area.

A literature review was completed within PubMed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE for articles written in English and indexed between January 1, 2016, and August 1, 2021. The first and last authors of relevant articles were invited to be interviewed and to recommend other experts, from which 20 of 74 (27%) eligible participants were recruited. Standardized interviews were conducted virtually, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed.

Participant responses clustered into two domains, each comprising three themes: (1) current and future research: epidemiology and education, interventions, and gaps in research; and (2) barriers: limited funding, psychological resistance, and logistical impediments. Research has been primarily limited to the phenomenology of eco-anxiety, the aftermath of natural disasters, and psychoeducational interventions. Participants provided insights into how the field can become more interventional, overcome psychological resistance among colleagues through education, and improve funding through calls for grants specific to this topic.

This study outlines perspectives on the cutting-edge directions of research in climate mental health for children and impediments to its progress. Generalizability is limited by the small sample of experts interviewed; however, these content experts' opinions can inform curriculum development and help mentors support mentees hoping to develop research careers in climate mental health.