UNDERSTANDING YOUNG WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CHANGING CLIMATE IN NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

Abstract

Women are disproportionately affected by climate change, yet little research focuses on their mental health. Young women have also been increasingly active in advocating for climate action. The purpose of this study is to explore young women’s perceptions of the changing climate and their mental health and their suggestions for appropriate adaptation and mitigation work. Feminist structuralism guided by discourse analysis was used to explore 9 participants’ relationships to discourses surrounding hopelessness, stereotypes, intersectionality, gender-based violence, individual VS corporation and government responsibility, and climate (in)action. Study findings supported by broader literature provide recommendations for the discipline of health promotion regarding gender appropriate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies that prioritize and recognize mental health.