Exploring Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Coping in Young Adults in India

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4371214/v1

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Exploring Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Coping in Young Adults in India

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4371214/v1

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Although research on eco-anxiety in young adults is increasing, the prevalence of eco-anxiety in young adults without generalised anxiety disorder and the coping mechanisms they use are scarce. This study aimed to address this research gap in young adults in India and to gain deeper knowledge of the phenomenon. The study used nonprobability purposive sampling for recruitment. A heterogeneous sample of young adults aged 18–24 was recruited for semistructured interviews after the screening process. The participants were also asked to complete an eco-anxiety scale to validate the data further. Seven major themes were found, including information about climate change, associated emotions, coping strategies, blame attribution, barriers to pro-environmental behavior, views about the future, and personal impacts of climate change. These implications may extend to the therapeutic realm, informing the development of coping strategies for long-term well-being. These findings will also aid in developing psychometric scales for coping strategies specific to eco-anxiety and policy development and for including young adults in the decision-making process.

Eco-anxiety

Emotional Manifestation

Climate Change

Coping

Climate change is an exponentially growing phenomenon that the world is experiencing and is struggling to cope with. Increasing heat waves, floods, hurricanes, and pollution levels are only a few indicators of a global crisis. Studies have also shown that people who experience calamity have increased PTSD, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and addictive behaviors (Agoston et al., 2022; Clayton, 2020; Morganstein & Ursano, 2020).

There has also been evidence of the indirect effects of climate crisis on mental health. It has been found that adults experience ‘eco-anxiety’ or ‘climate stress’. The terms represent a range of emotions people experience because of environmental devastation and threats to their future, which severely impact mental and behavioral aspects (Galway and Field, 2023; Hickman et al., 2021; Ojala, 2018; Pihkala, 2020).

Feelings associated with Eco-Anxiety

The term ‘solastalgia’ preceded eco-anxiety. It was used to refer to the distress produced by the impact of environmental change on people (Albrecht, 2007). In the following years, several definitions of eco-anxiety were proposed. The most widely used approach is “persistent feelings of worry, anxiety, dread, or doom regarding environmental degradation and the impacts and implications of climate change on our planet as a whole” (Passmore et al., 2022).

In addition to the widely accepted meaning of eco-anxiety, several other feelings associated with climate change have been explored in recent years. Previous studies have discussed the concepts of eco-guilt, eco-depression, eco-anger, eco-grief, and, to a lesser extent, eco-coping (Agosten et al., 2022; Bright & Eames, 2021; Stanley et al., 2021).

Unlike eco-anxiety, however, previous research has concluded that these negative feelings are adaptive in encouraging pro-environmental behavior (Tschakert et al., 2019). Thus, understanding the impacts of eco-anxiety and the coping mechanisms of people against it for their well-being becomes even more critical.

Anxiety Disorders and Eco Anxiety

Although eco-anxiety is an important phenomenon, it has been widely associated with pathological worry and anxiety disorders. There has been considerable debate on the prevalence of eco-anxiety among people with no signs of an existing anxiety disorder (Asgarizadeh et al., 2023; Heeren et al., 2023; Ojala et al., 2021; Taylor, 2020). Scholars have argued that the prevalence of eco-anxiety is mostly in people with generalized pathological worry (Boluda-Verdú et al, 2022b; Verplanken et al., 2020).

Despite psychological disorders being strongly associated with eco-anxiety, other researchers have shown that people without any psychological disorders experience extreme levels of eco-anxiety (Galway & Field, 2023; Hickman et al., 2021; Stanley et al., 2021). Focused research on the average population would help develop specific interventions based on concerns related to the changing world. It would help in making people aware of the phenomenon at a global level.

Impact of Eco-Anxiety

Several studies have been conducted to understand the impacts of eco-anxiety on people's lives. As early as 2011, Albrecht discussed the possible emergence of ‘psychoterratic syndromes’, which are mental health syndromes due to environmental change. Only almost a decade later, research on the mental health impacts of climate change took a central place in environmental psychology.

The prevalence and impact of eco-anxiety among children and adolescents have also been researched (Hickman, 2020; Hickman et al., 2021b; Patrick et al., 2022; Reyes et al., 2021; Thompson et al., 2022). Most studies have shown a positive correlation between eco-anxiety and poorer mental health in children, as well as a greater need to take action for a better environment.

Moreover, to better understand eco-anxiety and its manifestations, the “Hogg’s Eco-Anxiety Scale” was developed (Hogg et al., 2021). The survey included the affective and behavioral aspects of eco-anxiety, along with its impacts on levels of anxiety and depression. Although this scale has broadened the scope of research on eco-anxiety, there is still a lack of research on the coping techniques used by people dealing with eco-anxiety.

Coping with Eco Axiety

Research conducted to understand the different ways in which people cope with eco-anxiety has revealed three major coping strategies—problem-focused, emotion-focused, and meaning-focused coping (Agoston et al., 2022; Bright & Eames, 2020; Ojala, 2012; Ojala, 2013). Other studies have emphasized the role of the right education, community support groups, and government initiatives in helping young adults cope with eco-anxiety better (Gunasiri et al., 2022; Sims et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2023).

Even though the need for such initiatives has been recognized, the lack of implementation has made it increasingly difficult for young adults to trust the authorities and feel powerful and hopeful about the future (Stanley et al., 2021; Thompson et al., 2022). It has been found that young adults talk about eco-anxiety in psychotherapy and that the validation of their feelings, a focus on action-oriented strategies to help with eco-anxiety, and learning emotion regulation techniques help people manage their anxiety (Budziszewska and Jonsson, 2022). However, the therapist’s competence in the phenomenon was a common concern shared by most participants.

Apart from therapeutic interventions, there is limited research on how young adults cope with eco-anxiety. The broad categories of coping provide us with a framework but do not delve deeper into the adaptive and maladaptive strategies that might be used under them. Understanding such techniques would further the research on eco-anxiety and eco-coping by providing a basis for standardized scales to measure coping strategies and informing mental health practitioners and support groups to direct their interventions to help young adults better.

Aim of the Current Study

This study focused not only on attitudes about the current state of the environment but also on the views of young adults about the planet’s future and the well-being of future generations. It also aimed to explore how young adults cope with eco-anxiety and other associated feelings. Such an understanding would further the research on the prevalence and need for specific psychological interventions to aid youth in dealing with this upcoming phenomenon. This study employs a qualitative method to explore the depth of experience of young adults and to better understand the phenomenon.

The study used a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach while collecting the data and analyzing the results.

Participants

The study included 11 participants aged between 18 and 25 years. The participants were recruited through a Google form using the purposive sampling technique. Interested participants were also asked to fill out a screening form to match the inclusion criteria. Participants with any diagnosed psychological disorders were excluded from the study to control for the effects of a predisposition to eco-anxiety. The screening protocol also included a standardized measure to assess the participants' anxiety levels in the past two weeks (Spitzer et al., 2006) to understand the effects of general anxiety on eco-anxiety.

Procedure

The interview schedule was developed in line with previous research. Seventeen questions were finalized, and the results were validated by experts. The questions in the interview schedule were as follows:

How would you describe the effects of climate change on your life?/How do you think climate change influences your life?

How would you describe your feelings while reading or thinking about climate change in the current scenario?

Could you explain a little about how you deal with the emotions you experience while thinking about climate change?

Who do you think is the most responsible for harming the environment?

The interested participants were first asked to complete the Google form with the screening protocol. The shortlisted participants were then approached for the interview. An interviewer was trained before conducting the interviews. The interviews were on average 30 minutes in length. The participants were then asked to complete the Hoggs Eco Anxiety Scale for further validation.

Research Rigour

Expert validation was obtained for the interview questions to ensure that they were relevant to the study. The interviewers were trained to conduct interviews before the data were collected. Participants were also given relevant resources in case of any unpleasant emotions experienced during the interview. While analyzing the interviews, an intercoder reliability of 0.7 was calculated. After the data were analyzed, the participants were also asked to fill out the member checking forms, and their feedback was incorporated.

The themes and subthemes emerging from the analysis are discussed in detail in this section.

Theme 1: Information about Climate Change

This theme explored the habits and attitudes of the participants regarding obtaining information about the environment and the climate crisis. Based on the analysis, three major subthemes were highlighted.

Source

Most participants described social media platforms as their major source of information, while some also mentioned news and research articles they occasionally came across.

...So the sources mainly would be news channels, Instagram, articles, everything.

Frequency

Most participants did not actively read about the crisis and only learned about its impacts after a major world incident. The participants reported that they did not read about the phenomenon as much as they would like; however, there were several participants who were likely to be updated on the trends.

I do read articles, but not much; I just read and then don’t reflect upon it.

Maybe I read an article all through every week because you are on social media and because the art accounts and even the news channels I follow are pro climate change, and they post a lot of information that I tend to read. Therefore, it just comes to me rather than me searching for it.

Reliability

Most of the young adults thought that all the sources exaggerated and sensationalized the information and that they took the information with a grain of salt.

I do go to verified sources, but I also get mixed you know information, and I can say that it colors my judgment…I do think it is exaggerated.

Theme 2: Blaming for Harm to the Environment

This theme addresses the perceptions of young adults regarding the responsibility of harming the environment. Based on the blame perceived, three subthemes were identified under this theme

Individuals

The participants considered each individual to be equally responsible for harming nature and aggravating the crisis.

It’s only us, the common people, again it’s the common people all in all the humans who are contributing to harming nature.

Industries

Participants also blamed people with greater power, large companies and corporations for causing greater harm to the environment without holding accountable for the same. It was also common for these industries to take greater responsibility for the improvement of the environment.

...because the big corporations and the multibillion dollar industries that do the…kind of cause the most of the pollution and climate change, they are not taking accountability and they have so much power and money that they do not need to make any meaningful changes to how their operations are.

Government

Apart from the individuals and the industries, the participants also mentioned that the government holds more power and does not do enough to stop the harm being caused.

However, I guess some people just hold more power, more power to worsen it or stop it. Like, for example, the government, they hold more power to stop it, but they don’t do enough.

Theme 3: Personal Impact of Climate Change

This theme explores the varied impacts of climate change that young adults have faced in their own lives. These impacts ranged from small emotional changes to major health issues. Therefore, this theme includes two subthemes.

Physical Impact

With increasing temperature and unpredictable weather conditions, several participants mentioned the effects of these conditions on their immunity as well as on certain health conditions that they had started facing. Breathing issues were also among the major challenges faced by all the study participants.

My body has started reacting to climate change…I have breakouts, my skin is constantly tanned, I get boils in my hand due to the heat, there’s a lot of hairfall happening…so I feel like there is a lot of change.

I have chronic bronchitis…so whenever there is dust around me, it gets triggered so I like being in nature but that has been changing because now there is just smoke around me and it gets triggered a lot more.

Psychological Impact

Apart from physical health issues, the participants also reported that their overall emotional well-being was impacted by climate change.

...If I see clouds I would expect rain but if it turns sunny the next second and then starts raining after a bit, then starts getting chilly, it just irritates my body…So it just changes the way I deal with my emotions…then I have to create a disconnect with the weather.

Theme 4: Emotions Toward the Environment

This theme explored the emotions of the participants toward the environment in general as well as their deterioration. Based on the analysis, four subthemes were identified under this theme.

Comfort

Participants described being surrounded by nature as a place where they could be comfortable, find peace, and be themselves.

“It feels a very personalized space…I feel so connected to nature so it’s just the only place where I am comfortable.”

I think it calms me down. Therefore, if there’s a lot on my mind or I am thinking about something…. I go sit in a garden and just admire the sky.

Sadness

While discussing the current environmental crisis, the participants also mentioned feeling upset and disappointed at the changes in their surroundings and the planet and how they were upset that future generations would be unable to experience such beauty.

Honestly, I mean seeing the different catastrophic events happening around the world is very upsetting.

Fear

They mentioned being scared when experiencing unusual weather or when thinking about the dire state of the environment. Along with fear, people also mentioned being worried about their actions' consequences and the impacts others are causing on the planet.

When it rains in the middle of January, which is very uncharacteristic of Bombay…it genuinely scares my friends and I for a second that holy hell the world is truly changing.

Hope

With regard to hopefulness about the current environmental situation and its impacts on people, the study found mixed opinions among the participants. While some participants were hopeful about the benefits of the gradual implementation of sustainable practices, others had lost their hope to save the planet through any individual or collective action by the people.

...but if what I am doing, all the people start doing it will create an impact. Therefore, if the sustainable products keep coming in, that is beneficial for the climate…it will help create a better future for the upcoming generations.

... I was very invested; I think it was on like on the outside it’s beyond control because there’s so much happening.

Theme 5: Coping Strategies

The study also recorded the different coping strategies young adults use to cope with their negative emotions related to the climate crisis. In line with the well-researched types of coping strategies, the study found four subthemes that were related to each other.

Lifestyle Changes

One of the most common coping strategies used by the participants was to make certain changes in their lives and their daily routines.

Therefore, whenever I’m going out for shopping, I usually carry a bag of my own, and I do not like to take paper bags or even plastic bags; I usually have a cloth bag with me. I do carry a water bottle which I like to refill more…which is a steel bottle and not a plastic one…yeah and then I use a lot of public transport…and like carrying my own dabba in case you’re eating out.

Disengagement

Most participants reported feeling disturbed after thinking or reading about climate change and chose to avoid or distract themselves from such news and from events related to the environmental crisis.

...but I distract myself so that I don’t overthink about it and end up having like being anxious about it. I end up doing something that distracts me that I like, like listening to music or something that would distract me or maybe talking to friends or something like that.

Gaining Awareness

Another widely reported coping strategy was to gain awareness about the phenomenon as well as about the pro-environmental behaviors the participants could engage in. Being informed better helped them deal with their emotions more healthily.

I think the first thing for me would be educating yourself; second would be actually understanding the basics of it like a lot of our Indian villages and a lot of our Indian practices or in general throughout the world. Lower economic classes who are not ultraelite have a lot of sustainable practices because that is how they look at the world…so I like to know more about such stories and practices.

Plan For Action

Unlike most participants who have been actively making some effort to contribute to the betterment of the environment, others have been coping with the situation by only making plans to contribute in the future or taking relief in the thought that they wish to do more.

...Therefore, if I get a chance to volunteer in such an organization, I would truly love to volunteer and spread awareness through, like, you know, you have those various drives…so I would take that as an opportunity to do something.

Theme 6: Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior

After understanding the emotions and attitudes of young adults toward climate change and the dire state of the environment, the interviews also aimed to explore the barriers perceived by young adults in contributing to a better and more sustainable future. Under these conditions, four subthemes were identified.

Powerlessness

With the constant harm being done by people around them, the participants reported feeling that their contributions would not matter or aid the situation.

...if there should be an effort from my side or if my efforts actually matter because there are forces much much larger than me who are actually making it worse, but on the other hand, I also think that even if it is going to end, then I might as well do something I truly want because it would be insignificant.

Insincerity

Another common perception among young adults is the widespread insincerity about the phenomenon, which makes it unlikely and odd for them to engage in pro-environmental behaviors.

I truly don’t care what’s happening right now; I just think about what is where I am living, if it is a perfect place or not and I’m thinking about the temperature where I am living its all cool…like its not affecting me.

Government Laws

The participants expressed a unanimous lack of government laws and regulations, with strict implementation helping them control harmful practices and encourage pro-environmental behavior.

...No, even if they have they are not being followed, and no action is being taken against those who are not following them. The laws should be more, and they should be implemented sternly.

Sustainable Products

Concerning the upcoming sustainable products in the market, the participants had mixed opinions. Although most of them thought that these products are helpful, they also expressed a need for more awareness, higher prices, and misuse of these products for profits that hinder the beneficial use of these products for the environment.

Sustainable products, healthy products are always more expensive than what’s available in the market…and a lot of them are scammed, so I think the awareness is not there. We need a lot of understanding about what it means to be sustainable, but right now I think that it is still a profit as a whole.

Theme 7: Views About the Future

After understanding the views of young adults about the current scenario and their control over changing the environment, the study also explored their views about the planet's future. The participants presented with a dire image of their future, with some even imagining no future. This theme thus includes two subthemes.

Dystopian World

Despite their growing awareness and efforts, the participants imagined the future completely differently. Their image is of a dull future with a scarce natural environment.

Like an urban jungle with so much heat because the UV rays are going to burn the planet up because there’s not much ozone layer left, and yeah, with the kind of…with the splurging of water…we’ll have no water there’s just going to be buildings and people are going to be tired.

End of the World

Although most participants presented a dystopian and completely different world in the future, others were concerned with the current exploitation and thought there would be nothing left on the planet.

I feel sadened by the situation in which we are heading and what we are going to give our future generations. Are we even going to be left with anything or is it just going to be dust and smoke?

This study focused on understanding the experiences of young adults with eco-anxiety and how they deal with the negative emotions associated with it. The interviews focused on issues such as their views about the current and future situations, their contributions to the environment, and their coping mechanisms to address the dire situation, among other things. The analysis of the interviews revealed several themes that not only corroborate the previous literature but also provide novel insights into the phenomenon experienced by young adults in a developing country.

According to the study, several major themes were found that explained the attitudes and concerns of the participants. In line with the findings of previous research, the current study participants expressed the emotions associated with climate change—sadness, fear, hopelessness, and hope—(Clayton & Karazsia, 2020; Pihkala, 2022). The coping mechanisms mentioned by the participants can also be classified under the existing coping frameworks—emotion and problem-focused (Ojala, 2020). However, other techniques, such as a plan of action, might need separate attention in further research. The current study also corroborated previous research regarding the perceived exaggeration of climate change information and the blame for most of the harm (Ogunbode et al., 2022; Tam et al., 2023; Thompson et al., 2022). Although individual action was considered, most blame was put on the government and industries.

While corroborating the results of previous related research, the present study also added to the research on eco-anxiety and young adults’ experiences with it. One of the significant findings was that generalized anxiety is not a significant predictor of negative experiences of eco-anxiety among young adults. The other finding was the understanding of specific coping techniques used by young adults, which can aid in the development of scales measuring coping mechanisms for eco-anxiety and understanding their adaptive or maladaptive impacts. Understanding coping techniques would also help develop therapeutic interventions targeting maladaptive practices and help people accept the changing state of the planet.

Similarly, understanding the views and concerns that the current generation has about the future will aid in developing psychological interventions and nationwide campaigns, laws, and awareness programs to save the environment and include stakeholders in the process. This study thus has great potential to bring newer concerns to the attention of policymakers and mental health professionals alike.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding: There is no funding source for this study.

Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Acknowledgements: Not Applicable

Data Availability: The supplementary data for this research can be provided on request by the editors and the concerned authorities.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate: The Institutional Review Board of the Christ (Deemed To Be) University approved the present study.

Ethical Guidelines: The present study was conducted in accordance with the “Institutional Review Board Guidelines for Student Researchers” of Christ (Deemed To Be) University.

Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. VJ performed material preparation, data collection, and analysis. VJ wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Conceptualisation: VJ, AJ; Methodology: VJ, AJ, ENJ; Formal analysis and investigation: VJ, DJ; Writing - original draft preparation: VJ; Writing - review and editing: AJ, ENJ; Supervision: AJ, ENJ

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No competing interests reported.

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Exploring Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Coping in Young Adults in India

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Abstract

Figures

Introduction

Methods

Participants

Procedure

Research Rigour

Results

Theme 1: Information about Climate Change

Source

Frequency

Reliability

Theme 2: Blaming for Harm to the Environment

Individuals

Industries

Government

Theme 3: Personal Impact of Climate Change

Physical Impact

Psychological Impact

Theme 4: Emotions Toward the Environment

Comfort

Sadness

Fear

Hope

Theme 5: Coping Strategies

Lifestyle Changes

Disengagement

Gaining Awareness

Plan For Action

Theme 6: Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior

Powerlessness

Insincerity

Government Laws

Sustainable Products

Theme 7: Views About the Future

Dystopian World

End of the World

Discussion

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Supplementary Files

Status:

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