DOI: 10.5064/f6pn4ary
title: Integrating End-User Needs and Perspectives in the Measurement of Young Adult Climate Change Distress

description: &lt;h3&gt;Project Overview&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over 60 percent of youth worldwide experience climate distress—negative emotions related to climate change—and an estimated 5–27 percent of those affected report adverse psychiatric symptoms such as impaired sleep or intrusive thoughts. Despite this prevalence, relatively little research addresses distress related to the chronic effects of climate change and climate change awareness. Much of the existing biomedical and public health literature focuses on measuring mental health impacts, with less attention to actionable strategies for climate and health adaptation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This current deposit is part of a larger mixed-method project study on young adult climate change distress, which involved five focus groups of professionals who regularly work with youth and adolescents, separate focus groups with 21 young adults, as well as a follow-up survey with 190 young adults. The goals for the broader study were to distinguish young adult climate distress from other forms of psychological distress, to improve data and resources on climate distress and to identify action priorities in this domain.&lt;/p&gt;
description: &lt;h3&gt;Data and Data Collection Overview&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The data in this first version of the deposit were collected during the first phase of the broader project. Data for this first deposit were collected from five 60-minute focus groups with a total of 27 participants with professional knowledge of or firsthand experience with young adults experiencing climate distress. Focus groups were conducted to explore interdisciplinary and applied perspectives of climate distress, allowing for the integration of diverse perspectives not captured in published literature. Focus groups informed subsequent discussions with young adults. These groups were organized by the four disciplinary fields of the participants (social scientists, community leaders, clinicians and public health professionals), to foster productive discussion and minimize misunderstandings related to field-specific terminology or norms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Study team members leveraged their professional networks to recruit participants using a combination of purposive and convenience sampling, supplemented by snowball recruitment. The goal of recruitment was to maximize the multidisciplinary perspective of professionals who could speak on mental health and climate change measurement and adaptation priorities. Recruitment took place from July 1 to September 23, 2024, resulting in a total of 27 participants. The focus groups were held from August 24 to September 24, 2024 online and in person in Santiago, Chile. &lt;/p&gt;
description: &lt;h3&gt;Selection and Organization of Shared Data&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This data deposit constitutes partial sharing due to the limited nature of the informed consent permissions obtained from the participants. A selection of relevant transcript quotes are shared to illustrate the key themes that emerged from the full coding of the focus group transcripts: 1) Knowledge Generation, emphasizing the need to expand scientific understanding of the causes, consequences, prevalence, and treatment of climate distress; 2) Framing and Communication, highlighting the importance of fostering realistic hope while avoiding undue distress; 3) Resource Allocation, underscoring the need for expanded funding and creative, cross-disciplinary approaches amid limited resources. Two meta-themes also emerged: 1) Centering the most impacted populations and 2) Prioritizing systemic, rather than individual-level, change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Supporting documentation includes the full codebook in its final version as developed by the study team, general information about the focus group facilitators, the focus group guide, this Data Narrative, and an administrative README file.&lt;/p&gt;