Climate anxiety in children and young people: A systematic review of prevalence and measurement methods

Climate anxiety is a growing concern, especially for young people. However, varied definitions and measurement approaches complicate understanding its scope, leading to inconsistent prevalence estimates. This systematic review assessed climate anxiety prevalence among youth (≤ 29 years) and documented measurement methods to clarify public health relevance and identify research gaps.

Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed English-language studies on youth climate anxiety prevalence. Duplicate screening, data extraction, and quality assessment occurred. Narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-analyses were performed.

Forty cross-sectional studies, mostly from High-income countries (HICs) and rated moderate risk of bias, were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Definitions of climate anxiety varied widely. Single-item questions were common for prevalence estimation (pooled prevalence from 14 estimates: 63%, 95% CI: 58%-68%). Validated scales (mainly CCAS, Clayton and Karazsia, 2020) assessing levels indicated low level of climate anxiety symptoms on average (pooled mean from 14 studies: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.50-1.82). High heterogeneity was present in both analyses. No significant prevalence difference was found between Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs) (68%) and High-income countries (HICs) (60%) (p=0.12).

Our review shows that climate anxiety is widely reported among young people, yet average symptom severity appears to be relatively low. Interpretation of prevalence estimates is limited by methodological heterogeneity, variation in measurement approaches, and insufficient reporting of moderating factors. Inconsistent definitions and geographical research bias also limit our understanding of the issue.