Predictors and correlates of self-reported climate anxiety in the United States

Abstract

Climate change has many adverse human health effects, including increased self-reported anxiety. However, self-reported climate anxiety may also motivate productive climate action. An online survey among US residents was developed based on prior scholarship and distributed to examine factors associated with self-reported climate anxiety. A sample of N = 2,000 US adults age 18 + completed the survey. Logistic regression analysis showed that significant predictors of self-reported climate anxiety include: greater media exposure to climate change information, more frequent discussions about climate change with friends and family, the perception that climate change will soon impact one personally, being younger, and being female. Additional analyses suggested that self-reported climate anxiety is associated with both positive and negative emotional impacts, including motivation, interest, sadness, and tension. Climate anxiety was also associated with greater engagement in environmental behaviors such as recycling. Volunteering for environmental causes and accessing straightforward climate information with less scientific jargon showed particular potential for anxiety reduction. The research suggests practical strategies to potentially reduce self-reported climate anxiety while retaining engagement in mitigating climate change.