Eco-Anxiety: A Cascade of Fundamental Existential Anxieties

“That Was the Happiest Time of My Life”: Understanding Childhood Eco-Connections in Appalachian Communities

“…It is widely acknowledged that eco-connections are first formed in childhood [ 14 ]. Eco-connection has also been suggested as an antidote to the increasing experience of eco-anxiety in this period of climate change [ 32 , 33 ]. Although studies indicate that there are variations in types of eco-connections, more research is needed to contextualize these variations and contribute to a greater understanding of the processes by which eco-connections can nurture individuals’ well-being.…”

“…Extensive qualitative research has examined the development of relationships with nature during childhood, the benefits of exposure to nature, and the pathways to environmental activism, often focusing on children and youth [ 14 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Inductive qualitative research offers the potential to elucidate the processes by which nature can strengthen individuals’ and communities’ attachment to the natural environment [ 32 ]. Numerous qualitative studies have shed light on the positive psychological aspects of people’s relationships with the natural environment [ 14 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”

Eco-Anxiety in Daily Life: Relationships with Well-Being and Pro-Environmental Behaviour

“…A report published by the American Psychological Association, Climate for Health, and ecoAmerica (Clayton et al (2017) further contributed to the increasing interest in the construct, as the authors offered their own definition-"a chronic fear of environmental doom" (p. 68). These earlier works helped the field grow rapidly, prompting a flurry of recent review articles (e.g., Coffey et al, 2021;Ojala et al, 2021;Passmore et al, 2022a;Pihkala, 2020aPihkala, , 2020b.…”

“…Although eco-anxiety has come to be approached in a broad and sometimes diverging manner, there is overwhelming agreement among researchers that it should for the most part not be pathologized, as it largely represents a rational response to serious issues (e.g., Hogg et al, 2021;Passmore et al, 2022a;Pihkala, 2020a). Instead, there is increasing recognition that symptoms of eco-anxiety can fall along a continuum that can encompass less pronounced worry, as well as more enduring, severe, and sometimes clinically significant (i.e., wherein one's ability to socialize, work, or sleep is impeded) forms of distress (e.g., Lutz et al, in press;Pihkala, 2020a).…”

“…Instead, there is increasing recognition that symptoms of eco-anxiety can fall along a continuum that can encompass less pronounced worry, as well as more enduring, severe, and sometimes clinically significant (i.e., wherein one's ability to socialize, work, or sleep is impeded) forms of distress (e.g., Lutz et al, in press;Pihkala, 2020a). However, as reflected in some of the definitions above, frequent and stronger instances of eco-anxiety are usually considered to be particularly emblematic of the construct (e.g., Clayton & Karazsia, 2021;Hogg et al, 2021;Passmore et al, 2022a;Verplanken et al, 2020). This view, coupled with the fact that the work in this area has primarily relied on single-assessment global reports (i.e., cross-sectional data), paints eco-anxiety as a more enduring trait; however, I argue that eco-anxiety can also be understood as a fluctuating daily state.…”