The majority of U.S. teens report environmental anxiety, a survey from Sacred Heart University found

America's youth are deeply fearful of climate change and have little faith in the power of individual action as a solution.

A new national survey from Sacred Heart University revealed these views, finding that young people place the greatest responsibility on government in addressing global warming. One in three said they will support candidates who share their views on climate, sustainability and social justice in November.

The digital survey, released September 26 by the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice at Catholic University in Fairfield, Connecticut, surveyed 2,000 young people ages 15 to 29 between July 29 and August 5 .

More than half of the youth surveyed (55%) reported feeling some level of “eco-anxiety” as a result of environmental crises such as climate change, which is causing stress in their daily lives. This level of environmental anxiety was evident across all geographic regions.

Nearly three-quarters of young Americans say they are personally concerned about climate change and how it will harm them. Major concerns were expressed about the impact of climate change on society (79%), its future quality of life (77%) and future generations (82%).

Kirk Bartholomew, development director at the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice, attributed young people's environmental fears in part to the conflict between strong belief in individual responsibility to do their part on climate change (77%) and low confidence that these steps will be taken will actually make a difference – 57% said individual measures will have very limited or no impact on curbing rising temperatures.

“If you feel that it is a really high level of responsibility to take action, but you have a very poor opinion about the impact of your actions, it seems to me that that leads to some kind of internal conflict that could cause anxiety” he told EarthBeat.

The survey was released as Hurricane Helene hit the southern states with severe storms and flooding, and following a summer that saw more dangerous heat waves and wildfires. In Phoenix, temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 113 consecutive days.

Scientists have said climate change is increasing these extreme weather events, as hotter temperatures prolong droughts, fuel wildfires and heat oceans and air, which then lead to stronger storms and flooding.

Other studies have found that climate impacts can affect mental health in a variety of ways, from feelings of isolation, depression and helplessness to a higher risk of stress and self-harm.

When it comes to responsibility for responding to climate change, most respondents pointed to the federal government (57%) and state and local governments (56%). Less said educational institutions (33%) and religious organizations (18%).

With the November election still weeks away, 82% of 1,675 respondents ages 18 and older said they are registered to vote. Still, only half (56%) of young people in the survey said they were very likely to vote in the presidential election, although that percentage rises to 85% when those who are somewhat likely to vote are included.

On climate change, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have taken completely opposite positions: Harris has promised to continue implementing the Inflation Reduction Act's historic investments in clean energy and climate initiatives, while Trump has questioned climate change and pledged a billion U.S. A campaign from oil companies has demanded dollars for this.

The Sacred Heart poll was conducted days after President Joe Biden ended his bid for a second term in the White House and found that four in 10 young people report increased support for Harris as a result of Biden's departure, compared to 24% for Trump. A quarter of respondents also said there was no change in support for their candidates as a result of Biden ending the campaign.

The Sacred Heart poll was conducted in collaboration with GreatBlue Research and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

Through off-campus conversations, the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice wanted to learn more about how U.S. youth view the intersections of sustainability, social justice, and climate change and what role they envision higher education playing in it.

The survey found that 48% of young respondents said colleges should offer climate change education and awareness programs, as well as support research into sustainable technologies (45%), promote community climate action (44%), and advocate for and implement policies to address climate change ( 40%).

There was particularly strong interest in colleges and universities that taught caring (77%) and mindfulness (78%) as important skills related to sustainability and social justice.

Brooke Suter, a sustainability specialist who participated in the survey, told EarthBeat that it was encouraging that young people recognized these “inner skills” as central to tackling our planet's environmental challenges.

Such perspectives, she said, are consistent with what Pope Francis has said, including in his encyclical.Laudato Si'“, on Care for Our Common Home” — a document known to four in 10 young people in the survey, a slight increase from the 33% of all U.S. adults who expressed awareness earlier this year.

Fitzpatrick said the survey results provide opportunities for Catholic institutions to engage young people at the intersection of sustainability and social justice and help them alleviate fears and helplessness related to climate change. For example, he said Catholic institutions can provide avenues for collective response through programs such as the Laudato Si' Action Platform, in which Sacred Heart is involved.

“This should show anyone who leads a Catholic church or an organization that works with youth and young adults that they really care, that they care deeply, that they are concerned and that they want to act.” he said.