IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i21p9221-d1505412.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perfectionism and Cognitive and Emotional Reactions to Climate Change and Psychological Distress

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Telma Pereira

    (Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
    Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Carolina Cabaços

    (Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
    Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Cristiana C. Marques

    (Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
    Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Ana Isabel Araújo

    (Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
    Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • António Macedo

    (Institute of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
    Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
    Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

Psychological reactions to the climate change (CC) crisis, encompassing worry, distress, and impairment, are influenced by personality. Also, these psychological reactions to CC and future anxiety can impact an individual’s overall psychological distress. The role of perfectionism in psychological distress through CC reactions and future anxiety (FA) has not yet been explored. Our aim was to explore the mediator roles of CC worry, CC distress, CC impairment, and FA in the link between perfectionism and general psychological distress while controlling for the effect of gender. A path analysis was conducted on a sample of 577 adults (mean age = 32.62 ± 14.71) from the general population (64.5% women). The final model with all statistically significant path coefficients ( p ≤ 0.01) presented an excellent model fit: χ 2 (6) = 1.56, p = 0.152; CFI = 0.995; GFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.986; RMSEA = 0.031, CI = 0.000–0.068, p = 0.764. Perfectionism was associated with general PD through several indirect pathways, including CC worry, CC distress, CC impairment, and FA, while controlling for the effect of gender. The model explained 3.89% of CC worry, 39.70% of CC distress, 20.64% of CC impairment, 23.73% of FA, and 20.20% of general PD. These findings suggest that cognitive and emotional responses to CC and future anxiety are exacerbated with higher perfectionism levels, which leads to higher overall psychological distress. These data underscore that individuals with high levels of perfectionism may require help to psychologically adapt to CC. Interventions aimed at lowering the maladaptive cognitive and emotional responses to climate threats should be implemented.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Telma Pereira & Carolina Cabaços & Cristiana C. Marques & Ana Isabel Araújo & António Macedo, 2024. "Perfectionism and Cognitive and Emotional Reactions to Climate Change and Psychological Distress," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:21:p:9221-:d:1505412
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/21/9221/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/21/9221/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fava, Santino Del & Gupta, Rangan & Pierdzioch, Christian & Rognone, Lavinia, 2024. "Forecasting international financial stress: The role of climate risks," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    2. Susan D. Clayton & Panu Pihkala & Britt Wray & Elizabeth Marks, 2023. "Psychological and Emotional Responses to Climate Change among Young People Worldwide: Differences Associated with Gender, Age, and Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Anne M. Valkengoed & Linda Steg, 2023. "Climate anxiety is about more than just personal risks," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(7), pages 591-591, July.
    4. Alan E. Stewart, 2021. "Psychometric Properties of the Climate Change Worry Scale," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-22, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gonca Kurt & Recep Akdur, 2024. "Under What Conditions Does Climate Change Worry Contribute to Climate Action in Turkey: What Moderates This Relationship?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Shiri Shinan-Altman & Yaira Hamama-Raz, 2023. "The Association between Climate Change Exposure and Climate Change Worry among Israeli Adults: The Interplay of Risk Appraisal, Collective Efficacy, Age, and Gender," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Kailie Drumm & Roxanne Vandermause, 2023. "Adolescents Concerned about Climate Change: A Hermeneutic Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(22), pages 1-15, November.
    4. Rangan Gupta & Anandamayee Majumdar & Christian Pierdzioch & Onur Polat, 2024. "Climate Risks and Real Gold Returns over 750 Years," Forecasting, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Israel-Javier Juma-Michilena & Maria-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina & Irene Gil-Saura & Sergio Belda-Miquel, 2024. "Pro-environmental behaviours of generation Z: A cross-cultural approach," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 21(3), pages 1-29, September.
    6. Matteo Foglia & Vasilios Plakandaras & Rangan Gupta & Qiang Ji, 2024. "Long-Span Multi-Layer Spillovers between Moments of Advanced Equity Markets: The Role of Climate Risks," Working Papers 202415, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    7. 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.
    8. Rangan Gupta & Qiang Ji & Christian Pierdzioch, 2024. "Climate Policy Uncertainty and Financial Stress: Evidence for China," Working Papers 202428, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    9. Leso Munala & Elizabeth M. Allen & Andrew J. Frederick & Anne Ngũnjiri, 2023. "Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Intimate Partner Violence in East African Agrarian-Based Economies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(23), pages 1-14, November.
    10. Elie Bouri & Rangan Gupta & Asingamaanda Liphadzi & Christian Pierdzioch, 2024. "Forecasting Stock Returns Volatility of the G7 Over Centuries: The Role of Climate Risks," Working Papers 202424, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    11. Martin, Gina & Cosma, Alina & Roswell, Tasha & Anderson, Martin & Treble, Matthew & Leslie, Kathleen & Card, Kiffer G. & Closson, Kalysha & Kennedy, Angel & Gislason, Maya, 2023. "Measuring negative emotional responses to climate change among young people in survey research: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    12. Tomohiro Tasaki & Hide-Fumi Yokoo & Ryo Tajima & Rintaro Yamaguchi, 2023. "Characteristics That Influence Individuals’ Intentions to Use and Bequeath Common Assets: Time-Perspective Scales and Demographic Attributes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-15, October.
    13. Afees A. Salisu & Ahamuefula E. Ogbonna & Elie Bouri & Rangan Gupta, 2024. "Climate Risks and Prediction of Sectoral REITs Volatility: International Evidence," Working Papers 202434, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    14. Massimiliano Caporin & Petre Caraiani & Oguzhan Cepni & Rangan Gupta, 2024. "Predicting the Conditional Distribution of US Stock Market Systemic Stress: The Role of Climate Risks," Working Papers 202407, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    15. Filip Franciszek Karuga & Bartosz Szmyd & Karolina Petroniec & Aleksandra Walter & Agnieszka Pawełczyk & Marcin Sochal & Piotr Białasiewicz & Dominik Strzelecki & Maria Respondek-Liberska & Monika Tad, 2022. "The Causes and Role of Antinatalism in Poland in the Context of Climate Change, Obstetric Care, and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-13, October.
    16. Ivis García, 2024. "Ease of Recycling in Glendale, Salt Lake City, Utah: Dissecting Recycling Efforts by Household Size, Age, Income and Gender," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-16, October.
    17. 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.
    18. Taha Hannachi & Sonya Yakimova & Alain Somat, 2024. "A Follow up on the Continuum Theory of Eco-Anxiety: Analysis of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale Using Item Response Theory among French Speaking Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-16, August.
    19. Annamaria Di Fabio & Andrea Svicher, 2023. "The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(15), pages 1-13, July.
    20. Magdalena Adamus & Matúš Grežo, 2023. "Attitudes towards migrants and preferences for asylum and refugee policies before and during Russian invasion of Ukraine: The case of Slovakia," MUNI ECON Working Papers 2023-01, Masaryk University, revised Feb 2024.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:21:p:9221-:d:1505412. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.