Climate anxiety in early childhood : mental health, displacement and affective injustice in international and European climate governance

Abstract

Climate anxiety in early childhood is an under-recognised concern within global climate governance, despite the heightened vulnerability of children under eight to environmental disruption. This study critically examines how international and European governance frameworks address the emotional well-being of young children affected by climate-induced displacement, focussing on policy recognition of climate anxiety, the integration of developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed supports, and the conceptualisation and enactment of children's participatory rights. Drawing on neurodevelopmental research, affective climate violence, developmental and attachment theory, critical childhood studies and children's rights, this article conceptualises climate anxiety as affective dysregulation rooted in chronic environmental instability, displacement and toxic stress during critical developmental periods, currently underserved by international and European policies. Using a two-stage qualitative methodology, it analyses 38 international and European policies through qualitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal a lack of developmentally appropriate psychosocial responses; the exclusion of young children's affective lives from participation and protection mechanisms; and fragmented governance across climate, mental health and migration sectors. The article concludes with trauma-informed, developmentally attuned policy recommendations grounded in affective climate justice, advocating for the emotional wellbeing of young children as a core component of climate resilience.