Psychology: A depressed young person suffering from anxiety psychological disorder

Climate change is no longer just an environmental concern for many college students—it is becoming a persistent emotional burden. A new University of Utah study of 547 undergraduates found that powerlessness and frustration were the most common reactions, with more than half of students reporting those feelings frequently.

The survey was conducted among students taking three Environmental and Sustainability Studies courses and one communication course. Fifty-four percent said climate change made them feel powerless frequently or “a lot,” while 55% gave the same response for frustration. Hope was much less prominent: only 4% selected “a lot,” although 40% reported experiencing at least some hope.

The project brought together researchers from the University of Utah’s College of Humanities, College of Social and Behavioral Science, College of Education, and Natural History Museum of Utah. Its findings were published in Sustainability under the title “Climate Anxiety Among Undergraduates at an R1 University in the United States.” The study describes climate anxiety as widespread and closely connected with broader anxiety, while cautioning that the survey cannot prove climate distress causes generalized anxiety—or the reverse.

Students’ academic major was not a decisive predictor once other factors were considered, even though environmental studies students reported higher anxiety on average. Climate change being a major personal concern, more liberal political views, and frequent exposure to climate information in classrooms and online were stronger indicators. Online climate content appeared especially likely to raise anxiety among students outside environmental studies, suggesting that how students encounter climate information may be as important as how often they see it.

The University of Utah’s research also points to a gap between feeling distressed and finding a constructive way forward. Students described spending time in nature, connecting with friends and pets, practicing self-care, learning more about climate change, and reducing their own environmental impact as useful coping strategies. Internships, community projects, advocacy, and climate-focused research may offer something more than distraction by giving students a sense of agency.

That leaves colleges with responsibilities beyond simply adding climate facts to the curriculum. The researchers argue that counseling services should address climate-related distress directly, while campuses should create more opportunities for students to discuss their emotions with peers, faculty, and mentors. The team’s next challenge is determining whether these patterns hold across a wider range of majors, backgrounds, and universities—an important step before schools design support programs around one campus’s experience.

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Psychology: A depressed young person suffering from anxiety psychological disorder via Open Art AI
Psychology: A depressed young person suffering from anxiety psychological disorder via OpenArt AI