Measuring negative emotional responses to climate change among young people in survey research: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionMany young people report experiencing negative emotional responses to their awareness of climate change and the threats it poses to their future. With that, an increasing number of survey instruments have been developed to examine young people’s negative emotional responses to their awareness of climate change. This report describes a protocol for a systematic review that aims to identify, synthesise and critically appraise how negative emotional responses to climate change among young people have been measured in survey research. The research questions addressed in this review are: (1) How has negative emotional responses to climate change been defined and measured among young people? (2) How do survey instruments measuring young people’s negative emotional responses to climate change vary in terms of reliability and validity? (3) What factors are associated with negative emotional responses to climate change among young people?Methods and analysisSeven academic databases (CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and Environment Complete) will be searched to retrieve studies published between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2022 and published in English. Studies including survey instruments that measure negative emotional responses among young people (aged 10–24 years) will be eligible for inclusion. Targeted journals will be hand-searched. This review will follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines for systematic reviews. The methodological quality, in terms of reliability and validity, of the included studies will be assessed using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist for risk of bias of patient-reported outcome measures. To rate the quality of the instruments, we will use a modified Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations technique defined by the COSMIN guidelines.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not applicable for this study. We will disseminate the findings through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42022295733.

Climate change and mental health and wellbeing: Reflections from a health geography lens

“…This concept is often discussed in the climate change and mental health and wellbeing discourse (Albrecht, 2005; Galway et al., 2019) and draws largely on geographical theories of human attachment to place (Curtis & Oven, 2012; Ferrarello, 2023). Beyond solastalgia, a range of emotions about climate change are experienced (Marczak et al., 2023; Martin et al., 2023). Understanding various emotions could be an important area for future inquiry as different emotions may be related to mental health and wellbeing outcomes in different ways (Martin et al., 2022).…”

“…Although the media has picked up the language of climate anxiety, academic and professional use of the term tends to be more cautious and critical (Budziszewska, 2023). Particularly, it is important to note that experiencing such emotional responses to climate change is a rational response to the serious issues facing the planet (Heeren & Asmundson, 2022; Martin et al., 2022, 2023). Such emotions can be both adaptive and constructive in that they may motivate pro‐environmental action.…”

“…The American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica published a series of reports highlighting the links between climate change and psychological health (Clayton et al., 2017, 2021). In the years since the first of these publications, there has been an increase in research on the links between climate change and mental health and wellbeing within various disciplines, including psychology and public health (Martin et al., 2023; Massazza et al., 2022). Given the urgency of the climate change crisis, it is important to consider if, and how, various academic fields can contribute to building a better understanding of the climate change–mental health and wellbeing connection (Charlson et al., 2022).…”

Measurement scales of mental health related to climate change: a scoping review protocol using artificial intelligence

“…This situation makes it necessary to organise the existing information regarding the current state of the evaluation tools. In this sense, Martin et al conducted a systematic review to analyse which instruments exist in order to evaluate negative emotions related to climate change, but focused only on the young population 23 24…”

“…In this sense, Martin et al conducted a systematic review to analyse which instruments exist in order to evaluate negative emotions related to climate change, but focused only on the young population. 23 24 …”