Developing skills to manage climate anxiety through primary PSHE

Climate anxiety is widespread among children and young people, both in the UK and internationally. Illustrating this, in an international survey of over 10,000 16- to 25-year-olds across ten countries, including the UK, 59% reported that they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ worried about climate change; 84% reported that they were at least ‘moderately’ worried ^[1].

The majority reported feeling sad (68%), angry (57%) and powerless (56%). Many also felt hurt (43%), despairing (44%) and helpless (51%). Furthermore, below half believed governments were doing enough to avoid climate catastrophe (30%), and over half believed governments were ‘Failing young people across the world’ (65%).

Concerns about climate change are also impacting primary school-aged children. In a survey of 772 8- to 12-year-old children in London, 42% reported feeling ‘quite’ or ‘very’ worried about global warming; 82% were at least ‘a little bit’ worried ^[2].

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) states that climate anxiety can be described as ‘heightened emotional, mental or physical distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate’ ^[3]. While climate anxiety is a natural response, and is not considered to be a mental health condition, it can nonetheless be intensely distressing ^[3].

Ultimately, to reduce climate anxiety, climate change needs to be effectively addressed through meaningful, concerted and sustained government action and international co-operation. However, there are many steps that schools can take to meaningfully promote sustainability and address climate anxiety in primary pupils ^[4], including through PSHE education ^[5].

Though it doesn’t focus explicitly on climate change, our Foundations for Wellbeing mental health and wellbeing curriculum for primary schools can nonetheless help pupils to develop skills that can be used to manage strong, unpleasant or uncomfortable emotions arising from climate anxiety — such as sadness, frustration, anger, fear and despair ^[6].

For example:

• Noticing and naming feelings and emotions. Foundations for Wellbeing supports pupils to learn how to notice and name their feelings and emotions, as this can help them to make sense of their experiences and decide what to do about their feelings and emotions. Within the context of climate anxiety, this could include using emotions such as frustration or hope as ‘fuel’ or motivation for pro-environmental action (e.g. litter picking or writing letters to decision-makers), as well as using emotion regulation strategies to reduce the strength of intensely unpleasant emotions, such as despair.
• Managing distractions. Foundations for Wellbeing supports pupils to learn how to differentiate between and manage helpful and unhelpful distractions. Within the context of climate anxiety, this could place pupils in a better position to identify unhelpful distractions, such as social media posts or algorithms that prompt climate change-related ‘doom scrolling’. Pupils also learn that other types distractions, such as spending time in (or thinking about) nature, can be used positively in a time-limited way to redirect their attention away from sources of distress.
• Reflecting on what matters in life. Foundations for Wellbeing supports pupils to reflect on what matters to them in life and to plan activities that align with their values, make a difference and initiate positive emotions. This could lead to pupils taking part in pro-environmental activities, such as helping to maintain a park or nature reserve, which can be enjoyable and help them to make friends, learn new skills and cultivate a sense of agency, connection and hopefulness in the face of climate change — thereby helping to protect them from feelings of helplessness or powerlessness.

Based on neuroscience and the latest developmental and psychological research ^[7], Foundations for Wellbeing covers a wide range of topics and introduces evidence-based attention and emotion regulation strategies.

So, while there remains an urgent need for governments to address climate change directly to reduce climate anxiety, schools can also play a meaningful role in promoting sustainability and helping pupils to develop relevant knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills that can support their agency and enhance their ability to manage climate anxiety.

And PSHE education is an ideal vehicle for this learning to take place.

Further reading

Dorjee, D. (2025). The role of fostering children’s mental health and wellbeing capacities

in addressing their climate anxiety. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-fostering-childrens-mental-health-wellbeing-schools-dusana-dorjee-gxgke/ 

University College London. (2024). The role of subjects and subject associations in climate change and sustainability education in England. Available at www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/ucl-centre-climate-change-and-sustainability-education 

References

[1] Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3  
^Note: Only four 12-year-old children took part in this survey. 

[2] Hensler, I. I., Patel, K., Michalek, J., Ritchie, C., Loggerenberg, F. V., Ougrin, D., & Lau, J. Y. F. (2025). Eco-anxiety, knowledge and action in primary school-aged children in East London. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 9, e003324. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003324 

[3] UNICEF. (n.d.). Climate anxiety. UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/mental-health/climate-anxiety 

[4] Dunlop, L., Rushton, E. A. C., Atkinson, L., Ayre, J., Bullivant, A., Essex, J., Price, L., Smith, A., Summer, M., Stubbs, J. E., Diepen, M. T. van, & Wood, L. (2022). Teacher and youth priorities for education for environmental sustainability: A co-created manifesto. British Educational Research Journal, 48(5), 952–973.

[5] University College London (2024). The role of subjects and subject associations in climate change and sustainability education in England. www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/ucl-centre-climate-change-and-sustainability-education 

[6] Dorjee, D. (2025). The role of fostering children’s mental health and wellbeing capacities in addressing their climate anxiety. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-fostering-childrens-mental-health-wellbeing-schools-dusana-dorjee-gxgke/ 

[7] Dorjee, D. (2025). Making sense of mental health and wellbeing in primary schools: A practical neuroscience-based guide. London: Routledge.