The notion of eco-anxiety is the result of the contraction of "ecology", which defines the science studying the relationships between living beings and their environment, and "anxiety".¹ It is increasingly used in the media, but to date there is no recognized medical definition.
Eco-anxiety occurs when someone feels increasingly worried about predicted environmental disasters, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution and deforestation. This anxiety is linked to concern about the short- and long-term consequences of climate change, and is fuelled by the media, which present a very bleak future, without relativizing and communicating about existing solutions.¹

A study published in The ^Lancet1 in 2021 shows the extent to which eco-anxiety has taken root in the younger generations. Of the 10,000 16-25 year-olds surveyed in ten countries, almost 70% said they were "very worried" or "extremely worried" about climate change. On average, this figure was even higher in the developing countries of the South, which are expected to bear the brunt of negative climate-related impacts.

Even if eco-anxiety is not a mental illness, eco-anxious people can still present a number of symptoms, such as: panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, obsessive thoughts, eating disorders (anorexia, hyperphagia), negative emotions (fear, sadness, powerlessness, despair, frustration, anger, paralysis).²

For further information, we recommend that you consult :

1- The Lancet - Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs
2- Fondation Jean Jaurès - Eco-anxiety: analysis of a contemporary anguish