Compounding Disasters and Australian Youth Mental Health: A Time of Significant (di)stress.

Neither subjective nor objective exposure to climate extremes meaningfully contributed to mental health outcomes in Australian youth.

• 712 Australian youth participated (mean age = 21.07, range 16-25 years)
• Data collected in the immediate aftermath of Australia's severe bushfire season of 2019/2020 and at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Objective exposure to extreme drought, bushfire, and bushfire smoke (air quality index) was quantified using data from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Energy
• Subjective exposure was quantified by responses to questions about direct exposure to drought, bushfire, and bushfire smoke
• Little variance in mental health outcomes was explained by climate exposure measures

Common psychosocial stressors accounted for significant amounts of variance in psychological distress among Australian youth.

• Psychosocial stressors explained a range of 2%-6% of variance in psychological distress symptom endorsement
• Psychosocial stressors explained a range of 1%-3% of variance in adjustment disorder symptom endorsement
• Psychosocial stressors explained a range of 1%-2% of variance in substance misuse symptom endorsement
• Standardised clinical screening measures of psychological distress, adjustment disorder, and substance misuse were used

The study assessed multiple mental health outcomes using standardised clinical screening measures in a sample of Australian youth exposed to compounding disasters.

• Sample consisted of 712 Australian youth with mean age of 21.07 years, ranging from 16 to 25 years
• Measures included standardised clinical screening tools for psychological distress, adjustment disorder, and substance misuse
• Data collection occurred during a period of compounding stressors: the 2019/2020 bushfire season aftermath and the onset of COVID-19
• Both objective environmental data and subjective self-report exposure measures were incorporated

This study represents the first investigation indicating that extreme climate events may have less overall impact on youth mental health than other stressful life events.

• Authors describe these as 'first-time' findings that climate extremes, while distressing for some, may be less impactful than other psychosocial stressors overall
• Climate change exposure is predicted to contribute to significant mental health problems for younger people, but little prior research examined this in the context of other psychosocial stressors
• Results were described as being 'in contrast to expectations'