The double-edged sword of (eco)anxiety: Antecedents and consequences on pro-environmental behaviors
Hannuzet, Amy; De Clercq, Mikaël; Senden, Morganeet al.
2025 • In Cougnon, Louise-Amélie; Gjerstad, Oyvind; Nugier, Armelleet al. (Eds.) An Interdisciplinary Approach to Climate Change: Perspectives from the Social Sciences and Humanities
[en] Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time. It causes problems in the environment, such as flooding, pollution, deforestation, and global warming, but also affects individuals’ physical and mental health. Many people are indeed suffering from experiencing eco-emotions, especially eco-anxiety. In this climate emergency context, individuals are encouraged to develop more pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). However, research on the influence of eco-anxiety on PEBs has been rather inconsistent to date. A possible explanation for these results can come from considering PEBs as a unidimensional construct. However, some studies support the importance of considering PEBs as a multifactorial concept. The aim of this paper is two-fold: (1) Analyze how eco-anxiety influences three types of PEBs, namely individual, collective, and political; and (2) understand the combined role of general anxiety, environmental identity, and personal experience of climate change on the experience of eco-anxiety. Finally, we analyse the first two aims via a structural equation model with moderating effects of gender. The results show positive correlations of the three antecedents mentioned above on eco-anxiety, as well as positive correlations of eco-anxiety on the three types of PEB. Contributions and implications of the present study are discussed.
Research Center/Unit :
LENTIC - Laboratoire d'Études sur les Nouvelles Formes de Travail, l'Innovation et le Changement - ULiège HEC Recherche. Changing workplace and strategic HRM - ULiège
Disciplines :
Social, industrial & organizational psychology Human resources management
Author, co-author :
Hannuzet, Amy
De Clercq, Mikaël
Senden, Morgane
Parmentier, Michaël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège Research > HEC Liège Research: Changing workplace and strategic HRM
Language :
English
Title :
The double-edged sword of (eco)anxiety: Antecedents and consequences on pro-environmental behaviors
Publication date :
30 September 2025
Main work title :
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Climate Change: Perspectives from the Social Sciences and Humanities
Barth, M., Masson, T., Fritsche, I., Fielding, K., & Smith, J. R. (2021). Collective responses to global challenges: The social psychology of pro-environmental action. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 74, 101562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101 562
Bateson, M., Brilot, B., & Nettle, D. (2011). Anxiety: An evolutionary approach. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(12), 707-715. https://doi.org/10.1177/070 6743 7110 5601 202
Boluda-Verdu, I., Senent-Valero, M., Casas-Escolano, M., Matijasevich, A., & Pastor-Valero, M. (2022). Fear for the future: Eco-anxiety and health implications, a systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, 101904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101 904
Brophy, H., Olson, J., & Paul, P. (2023). Eco-anxiety in youth: An integrative literature review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(3), 633-661. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13099
Brosch, T. (2021). Affect and emotions as drivers of climate change perception and action: A review. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 15-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cob eha.2021.02.001
Burke, S. E. L., Sanson, A. V., & Van Hoorn, J. (2018). The psychological effects of climate change on children. Current Psychiatry Reports, 20 (5), 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11 920-018-0896-9
Chan, R. C. H. (2022). Effects of minority stress on group identification and collective action among sexual minorities: A longitudinal test of the rejection-identification model. Sex Roles, 87(5), 237-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11 199-022-01304-2
Chung, S. J., Jang, S. J., & Lee, H. (2023). Eco-anxiety and environmental sustainability interest: A secondary data analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(6), 1462-1472. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13150
Clayton, S., & Karazsia, B. T. (2020). Development and validation of a measure of climate change anxiety. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, 101434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101 434
Coffey, Y., Bhullar, N., Durkin, J., Islam, M. S., & Usher, K. (2021). Understanding ecoanxiety: A systematic scoping review of current literature and identified knowledge gaps. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 3, 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joc lim.2021.100 047
Contreras, A., Blanchard, M. A., Mouguiama-Daouda, C., & Heeren, A. (2024). When eco-anger (but not eco-anxiety nor eco-sadness) makes you change! A temporal network approach to the emotional experience of climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 102, 102822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janx dis.2023.102 822
Della Libera, C., Mouguiama, C., Deschietere, G., & Heeren, A. (2024). Dérèglement climatique, santé mentale et éco-anxiété. Louvain Medical, 143(1), 46-52. http://hdl. handle.net/2078.1/284749
Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2021). Identifying the most important predictors of support for climate policy in the United States. Behavioural Public Policy, 5(4), 480-502. https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.39
Heeren, A., Mouguiama-Daouda, C., & Contreras, A. (2022). On climate anxiety and the threat it may pose to daily life functioning and adaptation: A study among European and African French-speaking participants. Climatic Change, 173(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10 584-022-03402-2
Heeren, A., Mouguiama-Daouda, C., & McNally, R. J. (2023). A network approach to climate change anxiety and its key related features. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 93, 102625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janx dis.2022.102 625
Henry, J. D., & Crawford, J. R. (2005). The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. The British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), 227-239. https://doi.org/10.1348/0144 6650 5X29 657
Hogg, T. L., Stanley, S. K., O’Brien, L. V., Wilson, M. S., & Watsford, C. R. (2021). The Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale: Development and validation of a multidimensional scale. Global Environmental Change, 71, 102391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenv cha.2021.102 391
Innocenti, M., Santarelli, G., Lombardi, G. S., Ciabini, L., Zjalic, D., Di Russo, M., & Cadeddu, C. (2023). How can climate change anxiety induce both pro-environmental behaviors and eco-paralysis? The mediating role of general self-efficacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3085. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijer ph2 0043 085
IPCC (2022) Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, NY, p. 3056. https://doi.org/10.1017/978100 9325 844
Jalin, H., Chandes, C., & Boudoukha, A. H. (2023). Assessing Eco-Anxiety with a Mixed Method: Creation and Validation of a Three Dimensions Scale. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/wnrjx
Jalin, H., Sapin, A., Macherey, A., Boudoukha, A. H., & Congard, A. (2024). Understanding eco-anxiety: Exploring relationships with environmental trait affects, connectedness to nature, depression, anxiety, and media exposure. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12 144-024-06098-y
Jarrett, J., Gauthier, S., Baden, D., Ainsworth, B., & Dorey, L. (2024). Eco-anxiety and climate-a nxiety linked to indirect exposure: A scoping review of empirical research. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 96, 102326. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102 326
Larson, L. R., Stedman, R. C., Cooper, C. B., & Decker, D. J. (2015). Understanding the multi-dimensional structure of pro-e nvironmental behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 43, 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.06.004
Lindhe, N., Bengtsson, A., Byggeth, E., Engström, J., Lundin, M., Ludvigsson, M., …, & Andersson, G. (2023). Tailored internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals experiencing psychological distress associated with climate change: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 171, 104438. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.brat.2023.104 438
Liu, J., & Green, R. J. (2024). Children’s pro-environmental behaviour: A systematic review of the literature. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 205, 107524. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rescon rec.2024.107 524
Lutz, P. K., Passmore, H. A., Howell, A. J., Zelenski, J. M., Yang, Y., & Richardson, M. (2023). The continuum of eco-a nxiety responses: A preliminary investigation of its nomological network. Collabra: Psychology, 9(1), 67838. https://doi.org/10.1525/colla bra.67838
Markle, G. L. (2013). Pro-e nvironmental behavior: Does it matter how it’s measured? Development and validation of the pro-e nvironmental behavior scale (PEBS). Human Ecology, 41, 905-914. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10 745-013-9614-8
Michie, S., Van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-42
Nairn, K. (2019). Learning from young people engaged in climate activism: The potential of collectivizing despair and Hope. YOUNG, 27(5), 435-450. https://doi.org/10.1177/11033 0881 8817 603
Ogunbode, C. A., Doran, R., Hanss, D., Ojala, M., Salmela-A ro, K., van den Broek, K. L., …, & Karasu, M. (2022). Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: Correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, 101887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101 887
Oinonen, I., & Paloniemi, R. (2023). Understanding and measuring young people’s sustainability actions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 91, 102124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102 124
Parmentier, M. L., Weiss, K., Aroua, A., Betry, C., Rivière, M., & Navarro, O. (2024). The influence of environmental crisis perception and trait anxiety on the level of eco-worry and climate anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 101, 102799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janx dis.2023.102 799
Pavani, J. B., Nicolas, L., & Bonetto, E. (2023). Eco-anxiety motivates pro-environmental behaviors: A two-wave longitudinal study. Motivation and Emotion, 47(6), 1062-1074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11 031-023-10038-x
Perkins, H. E. (2010). Measuring love and care for nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(4), 455-463. https://d oi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.05.004
Prati, G., Albanesi, C., & Pietrantoni, L. (2017). The interplay among environmental attitudes, pro-e nvironmental behavior, social identity, and pro-e nvironmental institutional climate. A longitudinal study. Environmental Education Research, 23(2), 176-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504 622.2015.1118 752
Prévot, A. C., Clayton, S., & Mathevet, R. (2018). The relationship of childhood upbringing and university degree program to environmental identity: Experience in nature matters. Environmental Education Research, 24(2), 263-279. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504 622.2016.1249 456
Qiu, S., & Qiu, J. (2024). From individual resilience to collective response: Reframing ecological emotions as catalysts for holistic environmental engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1363418. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1363 418
Reese, G., Rueff, M., & Wullenkord, M. (2023). No Risk, No Fun … ctioning? Perceived Climate Risks, But Not Nature Connectedness or Self-Efficacy Predict Climate Anxiety. Frontiers in Climate, 5, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2023.1158 451
Rothschild, J., & Haase, E. (2023). Women’s mental health and climate change Part II: Socioeconomic stresses of climate change and eco-anxiety for women and their children. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 160(2), 414-420. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.14514
Schwartz, S. E. O., Benoit, L., Clayton, S., Parnes, M. F., Swenson, L., & Lowe, S. R. (2023). Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer. Current Psychology, 42(20), 16708-16721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12 144-022-02735-6
Searle, K., & Gow, K. (2010). Do concerns about climate change lead to distress? International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 2(4), 362-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/175686 9101 1089 891
Soutar, C., & Wand, A. P. (2022). Understanding the spectrum of anxiety responses to climate change: A systematic review of the qualitative literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 990. https://doi.org/10.3390/ije rph1 9020 990
Stanley, S. K., Hogg, T. L., Leviston, Z., & Walker, I. (2021). From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 1, 100003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joc lim.2021.100 003
Steentjes, K., Pidgeon, N. F., Poortinga, W., Corner, A. J., Arnold, A., Böhm, G., …, & Tvinnereim, E. (2017). European Perceptions of Climate Change (EPCC): Topline findings of a survey conducted in four European countries in 2016. Cardiff University. 72. https://orca.card iff.ac.uk/id/epr int/98660/7/EPCC.pdf
Stern, P. C. (2000). New environmental theories: Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175
Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 81-97. https://www.jstor.org/sta ble/24707 060
Sutter, P. E., Michot, D., & Steffan, L. (2023). Quand travailler rend éco-anxieux. Revue Confluence, 3(1), 139-164. https://doi.org/10.3917/confl.003.0139
Tajfel, H. (Ed.). (1978). Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations. Academic Press.
Thomson, E. E., & Roach, S. P. (2023). The relationships among nature connectedness, climate anxiety, climate action, climate knowledge, and mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1241 400
Verplanken, B., Marks, E., & Dobromir, A. I. (2020). On the nature of eco-anxiety: How constructive or unconstructive is habitual worry about global warming? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 72, 101528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101 528
Watts, N., Amann, M., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Belesova, K., Bouley, T., Boykoff, M., …, & Costello, A. (2018). The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: From 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. The Lancet, 391(10120), 581-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9
Whitmarsh, L., Player, L., Jiongco, A., James, M., Williams, M., Marks, E., & Kennedy-Williams, P. (2022). Climate Anxiety: What Predicts It and How Is It Related to Climate Action? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 83, 101866. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101 866
Yuriev, A., Dahmen, M., Paillé, P., Boiral, O., & Guillaumie, L. (2020). Pro-environmental behaviors through the lens of the theory of planned behavior: A scoping review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 155, 104660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rescon rec.2019.104 660
