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Identifying Types of Eco-Anxiety, Eco-Guilt, Eco-Grief, and Eco-Coping in a Climate-Sensitive Population: A Qualitative Study

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  • Csilla Ágoston

    (Institute of People-Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1075 Budapest, Hungary
    Doctoral School of Education, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1075 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Benedek Csaba

    (Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Bence Nagy

    (Doctoral School of Education, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1075 Budapest, Hungary
    Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Zoltán Kőváry

    (Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Andrea Dúll

    (Institute of People-Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1075 Budapest, Hungary
    Department of Sociology and Communication, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary)

  • József Rácz

    (Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Zsolt Demetrovics

    (Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
    Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, UK)

Abstract

Background: Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century and it can affect mental health either directly through the experience of environmental traumas or indirectly through the experience of emotional distress and anxiety about the future. However, it is not clear what possible subtypes of the emerging “psychoterratic” syndromes such as eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, and eco-grief exist, how much distress they may cause, and to what extent they facilitate ecofriendly behavior. Methods: We analyzed semi-structured interviews (N = 17) focusing on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to climate change by using a combination of inductive and deductive qualitative methods. Results and conclusions: The interviews revealed six eco-anxiety components, eight types of eco-guilt, and two types of eco-grief that help to understand the multifactorial nature of these phenomena. The six categories of coping strategies are in line with traditional coping models, and they are linked in various ways to pro-environmental behavior and the management of negative emotions. The results can help practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of emotions related to climate change and how to cope with them, and researchers to develop comprehensive measurement tools to assess these emotions.

Suggested Citation

  • Csilla Ágoston & Benedek Csaba & Bence Nagy & Zoltán Kőváry & Andrea Dúll & József Rácz & Zsolt Demetrovics, 2022. "Identifying Types of Eco-Anxiety, Eco-Guilt, Eco-Grief, and Eco-Coping in a Climate-Sensitive Population: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2461-:d:754323
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Alan E. Stewart, 2021. "Psychometric Properties of the Climate Change Worry Scale," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-22, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alan E. Stewart & Harrison E. Chapman & Jackson B. L. Davis, 2023. "Anxiety and Worry about Six Categories of Climate Change Impacts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-24, December.
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    7. Panu Pihkala, 2024. "Ecological Sorrow: Types of Grief and Loss in Ecological Grief," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-44, January.

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