Dual-Process Model of Eco-Anxiety: A Scoping Review of Mental Health and Pro-Environmental Behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i1.2156Abstract
Eco-anxiety, as an incessant worry, distress and fear associated with climate change and environmental depletion, has emerged as a corner stone of psychology, but its implications on behavior and mental health remain a conceptually debatable point. Some studies conceptualize eco-anxiety as a maladaptive distress, whereas other studies posit that it could be a motivator to pro-environmental action. This scoping review summarized empirical evidence on the relationships between eco-anxiety, mental health outcomes, and pro-environmental behavior, and identified the psychological processes underlying these associations. A systematic search was performed in Google Scholar, followed by backward reference-list screening, using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Papers that were published between 2019 and April 2026 were taken into consideration. The operationalization of eco-anxiety across included studies was achieved using validated measures such as the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (Clayton and Karazsia, 2020), the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (Hogg et al., 2024), and similar multidimensional measures. Fourteen empirical studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected and analyzed using thematic synthesis. Eco-anxiety was consistently associated with psychological distress, including elevated anxiety, depression, and reduced well-being. Its association with pro-environmental behavior was generally positive but weaker and more variable across studies. There is some early evidence pointing to a tentative non-linear pattern in which moderate eco-anxiety may support behavioral engagement, while very high levels may be associated with avoidance, although this pattern is to be directly empirically tested. The most important mediating and moderating variables were found to be emotional regulation, coping strategies, self-efficacy, and environmental identity. Eco-anxiety is a dual-process construct that has both adaptive and maladaptive pathways. The individual and contextual conditions predetermine its psychological and behavioral outcomes and justify the necessity of integrated mental health and environmental engagement strategies in the context of climate change.
References
Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Barlow, D. H. (2004). Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Cianconi, P., Betrò, S., & Janiri, L. (2020). The impact of climate change on mental health: A systematic descriptive review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 74. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074
Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, Article 102263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102263
Clayton, S., & Karazsia, B. T. (2020). Development and validation of a measure of climate change anxiety. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, Article 101434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101434
Clayton, S., Manning, C. M., Krygsman, K., & Speiser, M. (2017). Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications, and guidance. American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica.
Er, S., Murat, M., Ata, E. E., Köse, S., & Buzlu, S. (2024). Nursing students' mental health: How does eco-anxiety effect? International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 33(5), 1315–1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13320
Frijda, N. H. (1986). The emotions. Cambridge University Press.
Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3
Hogg, T. L., Stanley, S. K., O'Brien, L. V., Watsford, C. R., & Walker, I. (2024). Clarifying the nature of the association between eco-anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 95, Article 102249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102249
Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O'Brien, K. K. (2010). Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology. Implementation Science, 5, Article 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-5-69
Lutz, P. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Newman, D. B. (2023). Eco-anxiety in daily life: Relationships with well-being and pro-environmental behavior. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 4, Article 100110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100110
Maggi, S., Benomar, C., Quick, M., Corvello, M., Kingsbury, M., & Kohen, D. (2023). Climate emotions, pro-environmental behaviours, and activism among Canadian youth. Journal of Mental Health and Climate Change, 10, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.54103/2723-6692/19792
Mathers-Jones, J., & Todd, J. (2023). Ecological anxiety and pro-environmental behaviour: The role of attention. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 98, Article 102745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102745
Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18, Article 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x
de, C. A., Doran, R., Hanss, D., Ojala, M., Salmela-Aro, K., van den Broek, K. L., Bhullar, N., Aquino, S. D., Maroti, T., Schermer, J. A., et al. (2022). Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: Correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, Article 101887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101887
Pihkala, P. (2020). Anxiety and the ecological crisis: An analysis of eco-anxiety and climate anxiety. Sustainability, 12(19), Article 7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197836
Qin, Z., Wu, Q., Bi, C., Deng, Y., & Hu, Q. (2024). The relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior in adolescents: The mediating role of future self-continuity and the moderating role of green self-efficacy. BMC Psychology, 12, Article 241. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01738-9
Reyes, M. E. S., Carmen, B. P. B., Luminarias, M. E. P., & Mangulabnan, S. A. N. (2021). An investigation into the relationship between climate change anxiety and mental health among Gen Z Filipinos. Current Psychology, 42, 7448–7456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02099-3
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, Article 100003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100003
Steg, L., & Vlek, C. (2009). Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: An integrative review and research agenda. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(3), 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.10.004
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O'Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewart, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, M. G., Garritty, C., … Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA extension for scoping reviews: Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
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, Article 101528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101528
Wullenkord, M. C., Tröger, J., Hamann, K. R. S., Loy, L. S., & Reese, G. (2021). Anxiety and climate change: A validation of the Climate Anxiety Scale in a German-speaking quota sample and an investigation of psychological correlates. Climatic Change, 168, Article 20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03234-6
Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18(5), 459–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.920180503
Žukauskienė, R., Bakaitytė-Bagdonė, A., & Balundė, A. (2025). Eco-anxiety: Prevalence and association with well-being and environmentally responsible consumption in Lithuania. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Article 100601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2025.100601
