Older women living in Canada's cities are the demographic most likely to express high levels of concern about climate change, according to a new Statistics Canada survey examining Canadians' attitudes toward the issue.The federal agency's report, Feeling The Heat: More Than Half Of Canadians Are Highly Concerned About Climate Change, found Canadians aged 65 and older, women and university graduates were more likely than other groups to report significant concern about climate change.Statistics Canada said 59% of Canadians aged 65 and older and 59% of women reported high levels of concern, while the figure rose to 60% among university graduates.Blacklock's Reporter said the agency noted that, contrary to common assumptions, seniors expressed greater concern than younger Canadians."Despite assumptions that climate change has stronger psychosocial effects on youth, seniors were the most likely age group to report high levels of concern about climate change in Canada," the report states.The highest levels of concern among seniors were reported in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.The survey also found divorced Canadians were more likely to report concern about climate change than those who were single, married or widowed, although Statistics Canada did not offer an explanation for the difference..Respondents least likely to express concern were working-age men living in rural Prairie communities, along with Canadians who reported low levels of trust in the federal government and publicly funded media."This response may indicate some skepticism about the existence of climate change," the report states.The findings are based on responses to the Canadian Social Survey, which asked participants questions including who they believed would be most affected by climate change.Statistics Canada said existing research into the psychological effects of climate change remains limited, but cited studies suggesting some people experience anxiety, depression or symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder following ecological disasters."Researchers have found climate-related hazards in Canada and abroad can have a mental health impact with some people experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or anxiety related to ecological disasters and climate change," the report states, while noting that "data are scarce."While seniors were the most likely to report concern overall, younger Canadians were more likely to say climate change caused them personal stress.Students and Canadians between the ages of 15 and 34 reported the highest levels of climate-related stress, particularly young women, who were more likely to say they experienced such stress at least monthly.The report follows earlier federal research by Public Safety Canada that documented increased anxiety among some young Canadians after Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg's high-profile speech at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit and subsequent climate demonstrations in Montreal, Ottawa and other Canadian cities.
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