Young Adults and Climate Change Anxiety: The Role of Self-Compassion

Abstract

Abstract
Research suggests that climate change anxiety is increasing as the climate crisis worsens. Past research suggests that self-compassion may be an effective strategy for reducing anxiety, although little is known about how self-compassion may mitigate climate change anxiety. The present study aimed to test a model hypothesising that self-compassion would negatively correlate with general anxiety and climate change anxiety.
Methods
This cross-sectional study recruited 171 participants who were university students mainly aged between 18-25. Participants completed an online survey with items from the Neff Self-Compassion Scale, GAD-7, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Climate Anxiety Scale and two of Gregersen’s Environmental Beliefs questions. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the hypothesised model and examine the relationships between climate anxiety, beliefs about climate change, general anxiety, and self-compassion. Results
Significant relationships were found between variables in the model. The hypothesised model was respecified; the beliefs about climate change variable was removed which resulted in an overall better goodness of fit in the model (𝑥!/df = 1.49, TLI: 0.967). Self-compassion was found to have an indirect inverse relationship with climate change anxiety via general anxiety. There was a bidirectional relationship between general anxiety and climate change anxiety (β = 0.79). Self-compassion was negatively correlated with general anxiety (β = -0.65).
Discussion
These findings suggest that self-compassion may have a mediating role in general anxiety, and a mediating role in climate change anxiety via general anxiety. Interventions
Journal of Ecopsychology 2024
Young Adults and Climate Change Anxiety 5
should be developed and implemented to increase self-compassion as a means of reducing anxiety and climate change anxiety in young people. Further research should investigate the potential role of self-compassion in mitigating both general anxiety and climate change anxiety.

Date of Award	9 Sept 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Plymouth
Supervisor	Nicholas Troop (Director of Studies (First Supervisor))