Maternal Eco-Distress as Catalyst for Post-Traumatic Growth
This mixed-methods study explored how new mothers in North America experience climate-related distress during matrescence, the transition into motherhood. Thirteen mothers with children under age three described their responses to extreme weather events, eco-anxiety, and ecological concerns while also completing measures of mental health and well-being.
What We Found
While mothers reported significant eco-distress—including fear, guilt, grief, and helplessness—they also described moments of resilience and transformation. Some mothers expressed what the study terms “learned hopefulness”: the ability to hold grief and gratitude together while finding renewed purpose. Quantitative findings showed strong correlations between climate distress and post-traumatic growth, including:
- New Possibilities – reimagining priorities in light of ecological crisis.
- Personal Strength – resilience emerging through caregiving.
- Spiritual Change & Gratitude – turning toward deeper meaning and connection.
Narrative accounts illustrated how eco-distress sharpened maternal ecological awareness, with many mothers modeling environmental stewardship, teaching their children ecological values, and reframing parenting as a form of climate activism.
Why It Matters
This research reframes maternal eco-distress not simply as a psychological burden but as a potential catalyst for growth, ecological identity development, and intergenerational commitment. Matrescence may serve as a developmental window in which mothers, through the challenges of climate chaos, cultivate resilience and pass forward ecological stewardship to their children.
