‘When they’re saying what is completely opposite to what you morally believe’: (In)action on climate change by State authorities and powerful bodies drives moral injury and eco-distress in UK young people

Ines Zevallos Labarthe, Elizabeth Marks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Young people are increasingly distressed by the climate and ecological crises (eco-distress). This has been associated with the failure of people in power to act appropriately, which may cause moral distress and moral injury. We examined this hypothesis by interviewing 13 young adults (19-25 years) in the UK about their climate concerns and perceptions of how State actors and authorities are responding to climate change. Using reflexive thematic analysis, four themes were developed: (1) Climate change is a wicked problem, (2) Moral distress is associated with witnessing acts of omission and commission, (3) Moral distress drives eco-distress, and (4) Opportunities for moral repair. Climate concerns extended to broader concerns about ecological degradation (eco-distress), linked to feelings of moral distress arising from repeatedly witnessing powerful people failing to act on climate change. Eco-distress was also exacerbated by (a) witnessing others in society failing to take appropriate responsibility, (b) realising the limitations of individual action, and (c) being embedded within a culture where personal contribution to climate change is inescapable. In contrast, eco-distress was lessened by seeing authorities engage with the issues morally, and further mitigated by collective, ethical, pro-environmental action. This adds empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that eco-distress involves moral distress and injury arising when State authorities and other powerful bodies engage in wrongful acts and omissions on climate change. We argue that this is affecting the wellbeing of young people and supports the argument that such wrongful (in)action infringes human rights. Clinical implications are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere32
Number of pages19
JournalThe Cognitive Behaviour Therapist
Volume17
Early online date30 Oct 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Dec 2024

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author (E.M.). The data are not publicly available due to information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '‘When they’re saying what is completely opposite to what you morally believe’: (In)action on climate change by State authorities and powerful bodies drives moral injury and eco-distress in UK young people'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this