College Students’ Perceptions and Emotions Related to Climate Change and Government Climate Action

Abstract

Young people increasingly express high levels of concern about the climate crisis. Their climate-related emotions and thoughts are often linked to a perceived lack of government action. This study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to explore the perceptions and emotions of college students (N = 16) related to climate change and government climate action. Participants completed semi-structured interviews assessing their thoughts and emotions about climate change as well as a measure of impairment related to climate change anxiety. Through reflexive thematic analysis of interview responses, researchers generated the following themes to describe participants’ responses: negative emotions and dire predictions, influence of participants’ background on perceptions and engagement, coping with climate-related concern, perceptions of government and political influence, and barriers to the U.S. addressing climate change. While results of bivariate correlation analysis indicated low levels of impairment related to climate change anxiety, the strong emotional responses expressed in interviews highlight the need for university mental health interventions, comprehensive climate change education, and inclusion of youth voices in policymaking. Understanding college students’ climate-related emotions and thoughts can inform strategies to support their well-being and engagement in the face of this crisis.