Oregon health officials say the effects of climate change including worse wildfires, heat waves, droughts and poor air quality are fueling “climate anxiety” in young people.

Its results are released in a report which highlights youthful feelings of distress, anger and frustration over perceived inaction by adults and governments.

During a Oregon Health Authority briefing Tuesday, three young people discussed how climate change has impacted their mental health.

Schoolgirl Mira Saturen expressed her horror as the Almeda fire started sweeping through the area near her home city of Ashland, in southwestern Oregon, in September 2020.

The blaze burned more than 2.500 homes.

His fears were reinforced by his father working in the fire service.

The mother of the 16-year-old is Yurok, a native people living along the Pacific coast and the Klamath River in Northern California.

While it focuses on Oregon, the report highlights broader worries about the mental health of young people in the United States, owing to the country’s rising rates of depression and suicide.

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