Climate Change and Youth Mental Health

• This public health report details the results of research about how climate change is impacting the mental health of young people in Oregon.
• The study includes many direct excerpts from interviews with teens and young adults in Oregon, information from mental health professionals, spotlights for hope and change, and ideas for the future. 

Positives

• This report is thorough but easy to read and comprehend. 
• The Executive Summary does a great job of introducing the connections between mental health and climate change.
• Students will benefit from the non-fiction text features included in the resource, which include bulleted lists, images, headings, subheadings, and breakout texts.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be comfortable reading and talking about climate change and mental health. 
• Youth suicide rates are discussed in the paper, so be prepared to support students on this topic.
  

Differentiation

• Connections can be made in social studies classes that are discussing how communities are impacted by climate change or in science classes exploring the secondary impacts of climate change on human health.
• This resource would best be utilized by reading and/or discussing it in groups. This could be done in a myriad of ways, depending on your classroom culture and students' willingness to discuss their own feelings about climate change and mental health. 
• Consider having students respond to some of the ideas presented by young people in Oregon, sharing their similar or different points of view.
• Consider using the Spotlights (page 23) and Future Directions and Partnerships (page 28) sections to encourage students to take action. There are many interesting and worthwhile ideas listed in these sections. 
• This report can be utilized as a supportive guide for other teachers as well.