IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v70y2024i3p574-581.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The relationship between climate change anxiety and psychotic experiences is mediated by death anxiety

Author

Listed:
  • Feten Fekih-Romdhane
  • Diana Malaeb
  • Alvaro Postigo
  • Fouad Sakr
  • Mariam Dabbous
  • Sami El Khatib
  • Sahar Obeid
  • Souheil Hallit

Abstract

Background: As climate change persists, accelerates, and intensifies, and since mitigating factors are absent, mental health impacts are expected to follow the same patterns. Therefore, it appears of utmost importance to deepen and broaden the knowledge and understanding of how and through which mechanisms climate change anxiety (CCA) may interplay with mental health outcomes. Based on the stress-vulnerability model of psychosis, the present study proposed to examine the relationship between CCA and psychotic experiences (PEs), and to test the theoretically-driven hypothesis that death anxiety acts as a mediator in this relationship. Method: This study adopted a cross-sectional approach involving a sample of young adults aged 18 to 35 years (mean age = 24.56 ± 22.49 years; 63.9% females) originating from, and residing in Lebanon. Results: The results of the mediation analysis showed that death anxiety partially mediated the association between CCA and PEs. Higher CCA was significantly associated with higher death anxiety; higher death anxiety was significantly associated with more PEs. Finally, higher CCA was directly and significantly associated with more PEs. Conclusion: Drawing from the present preliminary findings, the key tentative recommendation is that addressing death anxiety might alleviate the association between CCA and PEs. In addition, government decision-makers need to recognize the necessity of considering climate change implications on mental health in policy and decision-making.

Suggested Citation

  • Feten Fekih-Romdhane & Diana Malaeb & Alvaro Postigo & Fouad Sakr & Mariam Dabbous & Sami El Khatib & Sahar Obeid & Souheil Hallit, 2024. "The relationship between climate change anxiety and psychotic experiences is mediated by death anxiety," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(3), pages 574-581, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:574-581
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640231221102
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231221102
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640231221102?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helen L. Berry & Thomas D. Waite & Keith B. G. Dear & Anthony G. Capon & Virginia Murray, 2018. "The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(4), pages 282-290, April.
    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. Montira J. Pongsiri & Andrea M. Bassi, 2021. "A Systems Understanding Underpins Actions at the Climate and Health Nexus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    2. 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.
    3. Lisa Woodland & Priyanjali Ratwatte & Revati Phalkey & Emma L. Gillingham, 2023. "Investigating the Health Impacts of Climate Change among People with Pre-Existing Mental Health Problems: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-33, April.
    4. Margaret I. Rolfe & Sabrina Winona Pit & John W. McKenzie & Jo Longman & Veronica Matthews & Ross Bailie & Geoffrey G. Morgan, 2020. "Social vulnerability in a high-risk flood-affected rural region of NSW, Australia," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 101(3), pages 631-650, April.
    5. Caradee Yael Wright & Candice Eleanor Moore & Matthew Chersich & Rebecca Hester & Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle & Guy Kakumbi Mbayo & Charles Ndika Akong & Colin D. Butler, 2021. "A Transdisciplinary Approach to Address Climate Change Adaptation for Human Health and Well-Being in Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-9, April.
    6. Ivan C. Hanigan & Timothy B. Chaston, 2022. "Climate Change, Drought and Rural Suicide in New South Wales, Australia: Future Impact Scenario Projections to 2099," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-12, June.
    7. Gloria Freschi & Marialuisa Menegatto & Adriano Zamperini, 2023. "How Can Psychology Contribute to Climate Change Governance? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    8. Silvio Cristiano & Samuele Zilio, 2021. "Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Gemma Hayward & Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, 2021. "‘Seeing with Empty Eyes’: a systems approach to understand climate change and mental health in Bangladesh," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-30, March.
    10. Parry, Luke & Radel, Claudia & Adamo, Susana B. & Clark, Nigel & Counterman, Miriam & Flores-Yeffal, Nadia & Pons, Diego & Romero-Lankao, Paty & Vargo, Jason, 2019. "The (in)visible health risks of climate change," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    11. Kingsley S. Orievulu & Collins C. Iwuji, 2021. "Institutional Responses to Drought in a High HIV Prevalence Setting in Rural South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Audrey de Nazelle & Charlotte J. Roscoe & Aina Roca-Barcelό & Giselle Sebag & Gudrun Weinmayr & Carlos Dora & Kristie L. Ebi & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen & Maya Negev, 2021. "Urban Climate Policy and Action through a Health Lens—An Untapped Opportunity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-9, November.
    13. Rochelle Thompson & Briana N. M. Hagen & Margaret N. Lumley & Charlotte B. Winder & Basem Gohar & Andria Jones-Bitton, 2023. "“An Incredible Amount of Stress before You Even Put a Shovel in the Ground”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Farming Stressors in Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-23, April.
    14. Xuan Sun & Wenting Yang & Tao Sun & Ya Ping Wang, 2018. "Negative Emotion under Haze: An Investigation Based on the Microblog and Weather Records of Tianjin, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    15. Benedikt Janzen, 2022. "Temperature and Mental Health: Evidence from Helpline Calls," Papers 2207.04992, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2022.
    16. Ilkka Ratinen & Lassi Linnanen, 2022. "Exploring Systems Thinking Competence of Finns in Fostering Sustainable Transformation," World, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-12, April.
    17. Lohmann, Paul & Pondorfer, Andreas & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2019. "Natural Hazards and Well-Being in a Small-Scale Island Society," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 344-353.
    18. Panu Pihkala, 2022. "The Process of Eco-Anxiety and Ecological Grief: A Narrative Review and a New Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-53, December.
    19. Joana Cruz & Piran C. L. White & Andrew Bell & Peter A. Coventry, 2020. "Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-17, November.
    20. Gabriela Stilita & Fiona Charlson, 2024. "Keeping Sane in a Changing Climate: Assessing Psychologists’ Preparedness, Exposure to Climate-Health Impacts, Willingness to Act on Climate Change, and Barriers to Effective Action," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-14, February.

    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:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:3:p:574-581. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.