A new study has revealed that climate change is severely impacting adolescent mental health in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, southern Madagascar. Researchers found that young people in rural areas are experiencing extreme anxiety, depression, and climate-related distress, with many expressing a sense of hopelessness about the future.
The study, published in the Journal of Climate Change and Health, gathered data from 83 adolescents and focus groups with 48 participants across six rural villages. Many reported feeling powerless due to food insecurity, loss of resources, and uncertainty about their future. Some shared harrowing accounts of starvation and extreme drought, with one adolescent saying, “Life is a misery,” while another described witnessing elders in their communities die from malnutrition.
Dr. Kristin Hadfield of Trinity College Dublin, the study’s lead author, emphasized that young people in Madagascar are already experiencing the mental health consequences of climate change, unlike in wealthier nations where climate anxiety is often linked to future risks. Co-author Dr. Nambinina Rasolomalala from the Catholic University of Madagascar highlighted that many adolescents are forced to migrate for survival, while those who remain struggle with hunger, lost education, and deep despair.
The study identifies three key pathways through which climate change is affecting adolescent mental health:
- Loss of household resources – With crops failing and water scarce, many families are struggling to survive.
- Uncertainty about the future – Young people fear they have no control over their well-being.
- Disruption of coping mechanisms – Families and communities are unable to provide the necessary support.
The researchers urge that mental health support be integrated into climate adaptation efforts, emphasizing that climate change is not just an environmental crisis but a mental health crisis as well. The findings come as southern Madagascar’s Grand Sud region continues to suffer the effects of extreme droughts, including what was considered the first climate change-induced famine in 2021.