Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study

Krzysztof Szadejko; Rita Erica Fioravanzo; Feride Sheshi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study

Krzysztof Szadejko, Rita Erica Fioravanzo^*, Feride Sheshi

Published in Journal of Health and Environmental Research (Volume 11, Issue 4)

Received: 28 October 2025 Accepted: 10 November 2025 Published: 9 December 2025

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Abstract

Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the physical environment. Its impact on human health is increasingly evident, with a growing body of scientific evidence linking climate change to a range of health problems, including mental health impacts. The objectives of the survey were to test whether climate change has an impact on the mental health of young Italians and, if so, what kind of impact it has on their lives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting 3,607 questionnaires that included both qualitative and quantitative data from young adults aged 18 to 35 across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The findings indicate that climate change events significantly influence young Italians' psychological distress, a relationship that is mediated by Eco-anxiety, Hopelessness, and existential Purposelessness. This influence extends across multiple facets of daily life, impacting psychological well-being, consumption habits, interpersonal relationships, and future choices. Specifically, this effect is evident in shifts in mood (such as helplessness and anger), eating habits, and overall well-being. These results underscore the critical need for increased attention and resources to better understand the mental health implications of climate change in Italy. Such focused efforts will facilitate the development of effective prevention, promotion, and response strategies tailored to the specific needs of young people.

Published in	Journal of Health and Environmental Research (Volume 11, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
Page(s)	99-120
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Climate Change, Mental Health, Eco-anxiety, Psychological Distress, Young Adults, Mixed-methods Study

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Szadejko, K., Fioravanzo, R. E., Sheshi, F. (2025). Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. Journal of Health and Environmental Research, 11(4), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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Szadejko, K.; Fioravanzo, R. E.; Sheshi, F. Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. J. Health Environ. Res. 2025, 11(4), 99-120. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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Szadejko K, Fioravanzo RE, Sheshi F. Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. J Health Environ Res. 2025;11(4):99-120. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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@article{10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11,
  author = {Krzysztof Szadejko and Rita Erica Fioravanzo and Feride Sheshi},
  title = {Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study},
  journal = {Journal of Health and Environmental Research},
  volume = {11},
  number = {4},
  pages = {99-120},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jher.20251104.11},
  abstract = {Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the physical environment. Its impact on human health is increasingly evident, with a growing body of scientific evidence linking climate change to a range of health problems, including mental health impacts. The objectives of the survey were to test whether climate change has an impact on the mental health of young Italians and, if so, what kind of impact it has on their lives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting 3,607 questionnaires that included both qualitative and quantitative data from young adults aged 18 to 35 across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The findings indicate that climate change events significantly influence young Italians' psychological distress, a relationship that is mediated by Eco-anxiety, Hopelessness, and existential Purposelessness. This influence extends across multiple facets of daily life, impacting psychological well-being, consumption habits, interpersonal relationships, and future choices. Specifically, this effect is evident in shifts in mood (such as helplessness and anger), eating habits, and overall well-being. These results underscore the critical need for increased attention and resources to better understand the mental health implications of climate change in Italy. Such focused efforts will facilitate the development of effective prevention, promotion, and response strategies tailored to the specific needs of young people.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study
AU  - Krzysztof Szadejko
AU  - Rita Erica Fioravanzo
AU  - Feride Sheshi
Y1  - 2025/12/09
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
T2  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JF  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JO  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
SP  - 99
EP  - 120
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-3592
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
AB  - Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the physical environment. Its impact on human health is increasingly evident, with a growing body of scientific evidence linking climate change to a range of health problems, including mental health impacts. The objectives of the survey were to test whether climate change has an impact on the mental health of young Italians and, if so, what kind of impact it has on their lives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting 3,607 questionnaires that included both qualitative and quantitative data from young adults aged 18 to 35 across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The findings indicate that climate change events significantly influence young Italians' psychological distress, a relationship that is mediated by Eco-anxiety, Hopelessness, and existential Purposelessness. This influence extends across multiple facets of daily life, impacting psychological well-being, consumption habits, interpersonal relationships, and future choices. Specifically, this effect is evident in shifts in mood (such as helplessness and anger), eating habits, and overall well-being. These results underscore the critical need for increased attention and resources to better understand the mental health implications of climate change in Italy. Such focused efforts will facilitate the development of effective prevention, promotion, and response strategies tailored to the specific needs of young people.
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Krzysztof Szadejko

Higher Institute of Education and Training Sciences “Giuseppe Toniolo”, Modena, Italy
Rita Erica Fioravanzo

The European Institute of Psychotraumatology and Stress Management, Milan, Italy

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Feride Sheshi

The European Institute of Psychotraumatology and Stress Management, Milan, Italy

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APA Style

Szadejko, K., Fioravanzo, R. E., Sheshi, F. (2025). Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. Journal of Health and Environmental Research, 11(4), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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ACS Style

Szadejko, K.; Fioravanzo, R. E.; Sheshi, F. Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. J. Health Environ. Res. 2025, 11(4), 99-120. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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AMA Style

Szadejko K, Fioravanzo RE, Sheshi F. Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study. J Health Environ Res. 2025;11(4):99-120. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11

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@article{10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11,
  author = {Krzysztof Szadejko and Rita Erica Fioravanzo and Feride Sheshi},
  title = {Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study},
  journal = {Journal of Health and Environmental Research},
  volume = {11},
  number = {4},
  pages = {99-120},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jher.20251104.11},
  abstract = {Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the physical environment. Its impact on human health is increasingly evident, with a growing body of scientific evidence linking climate change to a range of health problems, including mental health impacts. The objectives of the survey were to test whether climate change has an impact on the mental health of young Italians and, if so, what kind of impact it has on their lives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting 3,607 questionnaires that included both qualitative and quantitative data from young adults aged 18 to 35 across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The findings indicate that climate change events significantly influence young Italians' psychological distress, a relationship that is mediated by Eco-anxiety, Hopelessness, and existential Purposelessness. This influence extends across multiple facets of daily life, impacting psychological well-being, consumption habits, interpersonal relationships, and future choices. Specifically, this effect is evident in shifts in mood (such as helplessness and anger), eating habits, and overall well-being. These results underscore the critical need for increased attention and resources to better understand the mental health implications of climate change in Italy. Such focused efforts will facilitate the development of effective prevention, promotion, and response strategies tailored to the specific needs of young people.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Italian Young Adults: A Mixed-methods Study
AU  - Krzysztof Szadejko
AU  - Rita Erica Fioravanzo
AU  - Feride Sheshi
Y1  - 2025/12/09
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
T2  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JF  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
JO  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
SP  - 99
EP  - 120
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-3592
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20251104.11
AB  - Climate change represents one of the most urgent challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the physical environment. Its impact on human health is increasingly evident, with a growing body of scientific evidence linking climate change to a range of health problems, including mental health impacts. The objectives of the survey were to test whether climate change has an impact on the mental health of young Italians and, if so, what kind of impact it has on their lives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, collecting 3,607 questionnaires that included both qualitative and quantitative data from young adults aged 18 to 35 across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The findings indicate that climate change events significantly influence young Italians' psychological distress, a relationship that is mediated by Eco-anxiety, Hopelessness, and existential Purposelessness. This influence extends across multiple facets of daily life, impacting psychological well-being, consumption habits, interpersonal relationships, and future choices. Specifically, this effect is evident in shifts in mood (such as helplessness and anger), eating habits, and overall well-being. These results underscore the critical need for increased attention and resources to better understand the mental health implications of climate change in Italy. Such focused efforts will facilitate the development of effective prevention, promotion, and response strategies tailored to the specific needs of young people.
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download