Climate Change Anxiety: Drivers, Impact, and Mitigation Interventions—A Multi-Country Survey

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a source of psychological distress, yet the prevalence, predictors, and behavioral implications of climate anxiety remain unevenly understood. This study examines climate anxiety, its key drivers, and associated behavioral responses in a multi-country sample of adults. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across 21 countries using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS), alongside measures of awareness, coping strategies, social support, and food-related behaviors, including food waste reduction, increased plant-based food consumption, and home or community gardening. Analyses included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and multivariable regression. Given the uneven country-level representation, results are reported as pooled patterns with a few exploratory cross-country comparisons. Climate anxiety was widely reported, with over 60% of participants indicating that climate challenges were emotionally overwhelming. Regression analyses showed that climate awareness and frequency of climate-related thinking were positively associated with higher anxiety, although the effect sizes were small and explanatory power was limited (R2 = 0.055). EFA identified two related dimensions: cognitive concern about future impacts and affective distress. Climate anxiety across countries showed modest variation (2.44–3.23) and no statistically significant differences, despite variation in awareness. A gap between concern and climate action was evident: only 39.1% reported environmentally motivated dietary changes. Cost, limited availability, and lack of information were the main barriers to climate action, and only 24.4% reported frequent social support. These findings indicate that climate anxiety is shaped by both psychological and structural factors, and that reducing it requires not only increasing awareness but also enabling conditions that support meaningful climate action.