Climate change awareness, eco-anxiety, and associated factors among adolescents
Children and Youth Services Review, cilt.190, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 190
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.109249
- Dergi Adı: Children and Youth Services Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescent, Awareness, Climate change, Eco-anxiety
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study aimed to examine adolescents’ climate change awareness and levels of eco-anxiety, as well as the factors associated with these variables. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed, including 684 adolescents. Data were collected using an Information Form, the Climate Change Awareness Scale for High School Students (CCAS), and the Eco-Anxiety Scale (EAS). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26.0. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the strength and direction of relationships between continuous variables, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The study sample consisted of 684 adolescents aged 14–19 years (mean = 15.6 ± 0.94), the majority of whom were female (55.3%) and living in nuclear families (81.4%). EAS and CCAS scores were higher among adolescents with chronic illnesses, those who had experienced natural disasters, those attending science high school, and those who had received climate change education. Higher parental education levels and maternal employment were also associated with increased EAS and CCAS scores. Multivariate analysis indicated that family income, mother’s education, and climate change education independently predicted eco-anxiety, while gender and father’s education predicted climate change awareness. The mean total EAS score was 17.84 ± 5.10, and the mean CCAS score was 61.58 ± 10.67. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a weak positive relationship between overall EAS and CCAS scores (r = 0.232, p = 0.004), with subdimension analyses indicating both weak positive and negative associations. Overall, adolescents demonstrated high climate change awareness and moderate eco-anxiety, suggesting that increased awareness was associated with elevated anxiety levels. These findings highlight the need for educational programs and policies that integrate cognitive and emotional support while promoting solution-focused coping strategies to enhance adolescents’ resilience to climate-related stressors.