by Beth Trimarco
As students across California are back in school, they're carrying the usual pressures, like grades, college applications and family responsibilities. But increasingly, the state's climate-driven disasters — year-round wildfire seasons, floods and record-breaking heat — have added “climate anxiety” as a defining challenge for this generation.
It’s been four years since Blue Shield of California’s original grant to the Climate Mental Health Network — a grant funded through BlueSky, the health plan’s youth mental health initiative. The investment came on the heels of Blue Shield’s first climate survey in 2021, which showed that more than eight out of 10 (83%) of Gen Z youth were concerned about the health of the planet, with the majority of respondents saying their environment affected their physical health (69%) and mental health (75%). The Blue Shield investment was the Climate Mental Health Network’s first-ever grant — and Blue Shield has continued to support the organization in scaling their work and impact.
The funding Blue Shield provided allowed the Climate Mental Health Network to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis of youth mental health and climate change, a study that has contributed to broader recognition of what's now commonly referred to as “climate anxiety.”
“Blue Shield’s grant was foundational,” said Sarah Newman, executive director at the Climate Mental Health Network. “It helped us understand how climate change was uniquely impacting youth mental health.”
The weight of climate anxiety
For young people, climate anxiety isn’t a vague worry about the future — it’s immediate. Students describe scrolling through social media and seeing images of fires, floods and extreme heat, wondering what will be left of the world as they grow up, especially as wildfire smoke becomes the norm for California every year. “What we discovered was both sobering and urgent,” said Newman. “Students were reporting feelings of dread, hopelessness and anxiety tied directly to climate events. Many felt isolated, thinking they were the only ones experiencing this.”
According to Baylis Beard, director of sustainability at Blue Shield of California, “The isolation students feel is often part of a phenomena called ‘pluralistic ignorance’, where individuals underestimate the widespread anxiety about climate change, mistakenly believing they are alone in their concern and desire for action.”
Some students feel immobilized, struggling to focus on homework or sports. Some may channel their worry into activism. Talking about climate concerns can help reduce the feelings of isolation. Engagement in collective action can also help buffer the impact of climate anxiety and reduce feelings of helplessness. For others, they may become burned out, feeling the weight of trying to solve a problem they alone can’t fix.
Developing climate mental health resources
Since receiving the Blue Shield grant four years ago, the Climate Mental Health Network has expanded, drawing in educators, clinicians, additional funders and youth advocates. Blue Shield has since made additional investments in the Climate Mental Health Network. With Blue Shield’s support, the Climate Mental Health Network recently released a toolkit for middle school teachers and students, designed to normalize conversations about climate anxiety and provide coping strategies.
“Our research prior to launching the toolkit showed 98% of teachers reported encountering emotional reactions from students when teaching about climate change, but only 10% reported having resources that provide guidance on addressing these emotions,” said Newman.
The toolkit, after a successful nationwide pilot, was expanded earlier this year with Blue Shield’s help to support teachers and youth in Los Angeles schools impacted by fires. It is now available for all free of charge for download online. “It’s important to validate climate anxiety, while also providing constructive ways to respond,” said Newman. “Whether that’s through classroom discussion, creative expression or community projects, taking action — even in small ways — is one of the most effective strategies.”
5 ways to navigate climate anxiety
The Climate Mental Health Network toolkit offers actionable steps for students, parents and educators. Here are five of the key takeaways:
- Name it — don’t numb it: Climate anxiety is real. Suppressing it only deepens the sense of isolation. Talking openly about feelings creates space for validation and support.
- Take action — even in small ways: Whether joining a recycling drive, writing to local officials or planting trees, doing something concrete helps transform fear into agency. Action restores a sense of control. Collective action can help even more than individual action.
- Connect with community: Isolation feeds anxiety. Being part of a school club, youth group or climate action team connects students with others who share their concerns — and their hopes.
- Create healthy boundaries with social media: Endless doom-scrolling fuels despair. Setting limits on news consumption and curating uplifting stories can help balance awareness with well-being.
- Build coping rituals: From journaling to exercise to mindfulness, daily practices can ground students. Creative expression like music, art or writing turns anxiety into resilience.
Today, it’s clear that climate anxiety is more than a passing worry — it’s a defining challenge of this generation.
“From growing wildfires to worsening air pollution and record-breaking heat, California’s youth are facing more severe and frequent environmental events than ever before — making climate anxiety a very real challenge,” said Paula Ambrose, Blue Shield's principal of Behavioral Health who heads up BlueSky. “Facing both the start of school and wildfire season, this kind of youth support may be the most essential school supply of all.”
To learn more about Blue Shield of California’s Corporate Citizenship efforts, including our commitment to youth mental health and environmental sustainability, visit citizenship.blueshieldca.com. Visit the Climate Mental Health Network to learn more, and be sure to register for the Climate Mental Health Network’s webinar, “Back to School Night: Raising Resilient Kids In An Age of Disasters,” which will take place on September 11.
This release is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide therapeutic guidance or replace professional mental health care.