THURS-106 - Climate Anxiety as a Driver of Health-protective and Pro-environmental Behaviors Among College Students

Brief Abstract Summary: Climate change poses growing threats to both mental health and climate-related illness. This study examines how climate change anxiety (CCA) influences pro-environmental behaviors and adaptive health measures among college students. Using survey data from 451 undergraduates, we applied four validated subscales of the Climate Anxiety Scale and used regression methods to test whether cognitive-emotional impairment and behavioral engagement predict (1) mitigation behaviors and (2) adoption of protective adaptive measures such as access to air filtration or cooling systems. Several subscales were significantly associated with increased engagement in these behaviors, suggesting that emotional responses to climate threats can motivate action. These findings highlight the importance of integrating adaptive measures in health education for environmental health programs. Educators can help transform concern into adaptive action and address disparities in access to protective resources.

Detailed abstract description: Climate change anxiety (CCA) has the potential to shape behavioral responses to climate hazards. Climate change health effects are increasing in prevalence while adaptation for vulnerable populations has not kept pace. Undergraduate students were surveyed to examine if CCA predicted pro-environmental behaviors or the adoption of protective adaptive health measures, such as obtaining access to air cleaners for wildfire smoke or cooling systems for extreme heat. An online survey, completed by 451 college students, assessed CCA using the validated Clayton and Karazsia scale. We asked students about their mitigating pro-environmental behavior and if they had taken any health-protective adaptive measures. The four CCA dimensions were analyzed with regression models to determine if the subscales predicted behavioral outcomes related to mitigation (pro-environmental behaviors) and adaptation measures. The subscales related to behavioral engagement and cognitive-emotional impairment were the strongest predictors of pro-environmental behavior, and also significantly predicted the adoption of adaptive health behaviors. Climate anxiety may motivate not only pro-environmental behavior, which has been shown to alleviate CCA symptoms, but also protective actions that may reduce vulnerability to climate health hazards. The findings highlight the importance of education about climate change health hazards and options that may reduce personal and household vulnerability.

Climate change anxiety is most commonly reported among younger, White, female, and highly educated populations, a pattern that likely reflects both real psychological vulnerability and differences in how climate distress is recognized, expressed, and measured. However, this distribution does not imply that other communities are less impacted by climate change. In fact, BIPOC, Indigenous, disabled, elder, and low-income communities often face the most acute environmental risks, yet it appears these populations may express climate-related distress differently or through other lenses.

Incorporating a DEIJ lens requires recognizing and validating diverse emotional experiences and cultural narratives about climate. It also means moving beyond individual psychological responses to address structural and systemic vulnerability. Centering marginalized voices in climate adaptation, mental health support, and research design is critical to building more equitable and inclusive responses to climate-related harm.