Invitation to Share a Study Opportunity on Youth Eco-emotions
Lana Millott
See below.
Lana Millott
Program Manager – Mental Wellness Programs
YMCA-YWCA of Vancouver Island
202-1314 Lakepoint Way, Victoria BC V9B 0S2
T: 778-584-7360
E: lmil...@vancouverislandy.ca
I gratefully and humbly acknowledge that the land where I live and work is on the unceded territories (stolen land) of the W̱SÁNEĆ, Tsawout, Songhees, Esquimalt and T’Sou-ke people.
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Hello!
My name is Judy Wu, and I am a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU). As part of my dissertation research, I am conducting a study to explore eco-emotions in British Columbian youth. Eco-emotions refer to the emotional responses—such as anxiety, grief, or frustration—that arise from the awareness or experience of climate change and ecological degradation (CCED).
Your organization has been identified as one that supports or works with youth in British Columbia that may be interested in participating in this study and I would like to invite you to help share this opportunity with your youth members. We are looking for youth aged 14-19 years for this study and there is no current end date for recruitment.
The study involves participation in a one-time focus group (either online via Zoom or in person for youth in the Greater Vancouver Area) where participants will be asked about their emotional experiences related to climate change, how they cope, and what kinds of support they believe are needed from public health and education systems.
Participation is completely voluntary, and youth will be asked to complete a short screening questionnaire and provide informed consent prior to participating. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Simon Fraser University Research Ethics Board (Study #30003161). All responses will be kept confidential, and appropriate supports and resources will be provided in the event that the topic causes emotional discomfort.
I would be very grateful if you could help distribute this opportunity to your youth network. Below, I have included a short message that you can share via email, and I’ve also attached a recruitment poster for your use on social media or in your space.
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Study Information:
About the Study
Eco-emotions are the emotions related to the awareness or experience of climate change and environmental degradation (CCED). Experience of negative eco-emotions, such as eco-anxiety, eco-grief, and eco-anger have been found to be on the rise in youth populations.
Through this study, we hope to investigate eco-emotions in British Columbian youth (aged 14-19 years) and identify ways that public and education sectors may best support youth experiencing negative eco-emotions.
Why should I participate?
Your insights will help researchers, as well those in the health and education systems understand how to best support other youth in BC who have had their well-being negatively impacted by CCED.
What would I need to do?
If you choose to participate, you will be invited to take part in a 90-120 minute focus group with other youth your age to discuss a series of questions about your emotions related to CCED. Focus groups will be audio recorded to help with note-taking and analysis. Audio recordings will be deleted following transcription. You will be offered a $50 honorarium for participating in the focus group.
Who is conducting this study?
The study is being conducted by Dr. Hasina Samji (hsa...@sfu.ca), an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. The student lead for this project is Judy Wu (jt...@sfu.ca), a graduate student in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.
How will be privacy and confidentiality be protected?
Full confidentiality cannot be maintained in a group setting. We encourage participants not to discuss the content of the focus group with people outside the group; however, we can’t control what participants do with the information discussed.
To protect your identity you can use a pseudonym or alternative name in the focus group. While we will encourage participants to have their cameras on, we respect different comfort levels and will not force anyone to turn their cameras on.
Where do I learn more about the study?
If you have any questions, you can contact the student lead, Judy, at jt...@sfu.ca
If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more about the study, please click here or scan the QR code: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/QMXGD2X
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Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like more information. Thank you very much for considering this request!
Best wishes,
Judy
Judy Wu, MPH (She, Her, Hers)
PhD Candidate | Faculty of Health Sciences
Research Assistant | Youth Development Instrument
Blusson Hall | Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6
SFU is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations.
