Search Results (115)

The purpose of this study is to examine positive and negative emotions about climate change reported by youth living in northern California and explore how these emotions are linked to climate anxiety, activism, and other measures of well-being. We surveyed ethnically diverse first- and second-year students (N = 521, mean age = 19) at a Jesuit, urban university in California in Fall 2022. Survey measures assessed climate-related emotions, eco-anxiety, and eco-impairment, along with activism, optimism, and compassion. Bivariate and multivariate models examined positive and negative eco-emotions, controlling for race, gender, and income. Overall, climate anxiety was linked to greater activism and confidence that actions matter. However, experiencing positive climate-related emotions had a stronger relationship to activism and optimism for the present and future, compared to negative emotions which were linked to higher eco-anxiety and greater compassion for others. Climate education and communication should consider inducing and reinforcing positive emotions to encourage youth activism, especially since negative emotions in response to climate change are linked to worse mental health. More research on a range of climate emotions is needed, and future interventions should test how to induce hope without minimizing the seriousness of climate change to support confidence and youth action. Full article

ESG-oriented marketing and its influence on consumers’ green consumption behavior have become important issues in sustainable development research, yet the emotional and cognitive mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently examined. Drawing on an integrated emotion–cognition–behavior perspective, this study focuses on Chinese Generation Z consumers and develops a model linking Perceived ESG Communication, Eco-Anxiety, Perceived Consumer Effectiveness, and Green Action Intention. Based on 400 valid survey responses, structural equation modeling and PROCESS 4.1 were employed to examine the structural relationships, mediation effects, and serial mediation pathway among the focal constructs. The results show that Perceived ESG Communication is positively associated with Green Action Intention both directly and indirectly. Specifically, Eco-Anxiety and Perceived Consumer Effectiveness each serve as significant mediators in the relationship between Perceived ESG Communication and Green Action Intention. Further analysis indicates that Eco-Anxiety is positively associated with Perceived Consumer Effectiveness, forming a significant serial mediation pathway through which ESG-related communication is linked to green action intention. These findings suggest that ESG-oriented marketing may influence Generation Z consumers not only by transmitting sustainability-related information, but also by activating environmental concern and strengthening consumers’ perceived effectiveness in contributing to sustainability outcomes. The study contributes to ESG communication and sustainable consumption research by clarifying the affective and cognitive mechanisms through which perceived ESG messages become behaviorally meaningful for young consumers. It also provides practical implications for designing ESG-oriented marketing strategies that combine credible responsibility communication with clear consumer action pathways. Full article

The present study examined the relationship between eco-emotions (i.e., eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger) and pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs), focusing on the moderating role of place attachment. A total of 250 participants (mean age = 33.69 years, SD = 14.67; 170 females) were enrolled. Results showed that only eco-anger was positively correlated with PEBs. Moreover, results indicated that place attachment moderated the association between eco-anger and PEBs, such that the positive relationship was weakened at higher levels of place attachment. No moderating effects of place attachment emerged for eco-anxiety and eco-depression. These findings suggest that place attachment may function as a subjective context-related factor associated with how eco-anger and PEBs co-vary at a single point in time. Overall, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the cross-sectional associations between eco-emotions, subjective place-related bonds, and PEBs. The study offers implications for residential environmental communication strategies grounded in locally feasible behavioural options. Full article

Background: Jordan is increasingly recognized as a climate-vulnerable setting in the region, yet evidence on the psychosocial dimensions of climate change among young adults remains limited. Led by the Jordan Center for Disease Control, this study assessed climate change perceptual awareness and climate-related anxiety among university students and explored perceptions of climate impacts at global and national levels. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey conducted between April and May 2025, 1305 students were recruited from universities across Jordan using a questionnaire incorporating the 15-item Climate Change Perceptual Awareness Scale and the 13-item Climate Change Anxiety Scale. Results: Awareness of climate change and global warming was high (87% and 96%, respectively), yet only 23% were familiar with Jordan’s National Climate Change Policy 2022–2050. In regression analyses, higher climate anxiety was associated with female sex, married status, larger household size, diagnosed mental health conditions, and central-region university enrolment. Higher perceptual awareness was associated with female sex, older age, and the recognition of multidimensional climate impacts. Students identified heatwaves, drought, and forest fires as principal environmental threats, and respiratory and heat-related illnesses as foremost health concerns. Conclusions: Our findings position climate change as not only an environmental concern, but also as an educational, psychological, and public health priority. To support effective adaptation and resilience, climate awareness must be translated into informed engagement and action. Integrating climate and climate-health education into university curricula, improving youth-responsive communication of national climate strategies, and creating formal pathways for youth participation in climate governance are essential investments in Jordan’s climate resilience, health security, and long-term sustainable development. Full article

Eco-anxiety refers to emotional and cognitive responses to environmental degradation and can manifest in both adaptive and maladaptive forms. This study aimed to identify distinct eco-anxiety profiles and examine their associations with resilience and vulnerability factors in a sample of 917 Portuguese-speaking adults. Latent profile analysis revealed five profiles: adaptive eco-anxiety, highly impaired maladaptive eco-anxiety, psychological distress independent of eco-anxiety, non-anxious/disengaged, and moderate I I have separated the addresses into different affiliations.have separated the addresses into different affiliations.eco-anxiety. These profiles differed significantly in psychological symptomatology, nature connectedness, pro-environmental attitudes, and prior exposure to cumulative social and environmental stressors. Higher-distress profiles were more likely among younger individuals, women, urban residents, unemployed participants, those without children, individuals with a prior psychiatric history, and those reporting direct exposure to drought. In contrast, stronger environmental identity and greater engagement with natural environments were associated with adaptive eco-anxiety, suggesting protective and resilience-promoting mechanisms. Overall, the findings highlight the multidimensional and heterogeneous nature of eco-anxiety and its complex relationship with psychological well-being and environmental engagement. Tailored interventions that promote adaptive coping, strengthen psychological resources, and facilitate access to natural environments may help mitigate maladaptive distress while supporting constructive environmental concern and action. Full article

Mushroom use dates back to ancient times, and it currently remains significant among indigenous and urban populations as a medicinal option. Psilocybe species are suggested to modify emotions when administered in macro- or microdose form for the treatment of anxiety and depression, both often affected by a delayed onset and adverse effects of current pharmacological therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anxiolytic and/or antidepressant-like effects of P. cubensis mushroom aqueous extract (PcAE) microdosing in mice using open-field and rota-rod tests, followed by plus-maze or forced swimming tests. We also evaluated changes in neuronal activity and dendritic maturation using electrocorticography (ECoG) and immunohistochemical techniques. The outcomes were compared with an effective macrodose of PcAE and antidepressant fluoxetine (FLX). For this study, mice were grouped as follows: (1) vehicle, (2) acute, and (3) repeated (10 days) PcAE microdosing (1 µg/kg); (4) single PcAE macrodose (1 g/kg); and (5) acute and (6) repeated reference drug fluoxetine (FLX, 10 mg/kg).The anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects using microdosing were similar to those observed with macrodoses of PcAE and FLX; significant dose- and/or time-dependent changes in the ECoG and dendritic maturation of hippocampus neurons were also observed, in addition to altered corticosterone levels. To conclude, P. cubensis mushroom promotes brain effects in mice after micro- and macrodosing, supporting its potential as a therapeutic alternative for mental health. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Eating-Related Eco-Concern (EREC) in young Turkish adults and to evaluate the effect of ecological concerns on disordered eating characteristics, with a view to comparing these effects with the risk of eating disorders. Methods: The study included 600 young adults (138 males and 462 females) aged 18 to 35. Using face-to-face administration, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q-13) Short Form to assess eating disorder-related psychopathology and the EREC Scale to assess eating behaviors related to eco-concern were administered, and Turkish validity and reliability were examined. Results: The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) was 0.801, signifying acceptable sample adequacy, while Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (χ² = 636.159, p < 0.001). All item factor loadings ranged from 0.582 to 0.767 and were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The scale’s Cronbach’s alpha was 0.854. Test–retest reliability was good, with an infraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.811 95% CI. The analysis revealed that the single-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.84, CFI = 0.976). There was no statistically significant correlation between EREC and the total EDE-Q-13 score (p = 0.064). On the other hand, the total EDE-Q-13 score was identified as a significant negative predictor of EREC scores (β = −2.648, p = 0.028). Conclusions: All item factors of the Turkish adaptation of the scale exhibit a structure that is quite consistent with the original scale. The 10-question version of EREC can be used with young adults in Türkiye. In this study, although ecological anxiety was associated with eating restraint or purging, it was not found to be generally associated with eating disorders. Full article

HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment persists despite combination antiretroviral therapy, largely driven by chronic microglial activation that sustains neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. Activated microglia contribute to HIV-associated brain pathology by releasing proinflammatory mediators that disrupt synaptic integrity and impair cognition. N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), an abundant neuropeptide that maintains glutamatergic homeostasis, is hydrolyzed by glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) to glutamate. We previously demonstrated that reduced brain and cerebrospinal fluid NAAG levels in people living with HIV correlate with cognitive impairment, and that pharmacological GCPII inhibition with 2-(phosphonomethyl)-pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) elevates brain NAAG and improves cognition in EcoHIV-infected mice. To enhance brain delivery and preferentially target activated microglia, we conjugated 2-PMPA to a generation 4 hydroxyl poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer (D-2-PMPA). Our findings demonstrate that D-2-PMPA achieves preferential microglial drug delivery, resulting in a >600% increase in cerebrospinal fluid NAAG levels. At doses 8.3-fold lower than free 2-PMPA, this formulation reversed EcoHIV-induced deficits in social interaction, novel object recognition, and fear-conditioned memory without altering locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior. D-2-PMPA also restored prefrontal cortex synaptic density and preserved dendritic architecture. Together, these findings demonstrate that microglia-targeted GCPII inhibition represents a potent nanotherapeutic strategy to restore synaptic integrity and cognitive function in HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment. Full article

Climate change and ecological degradation represent profound global challenges, eliciting a wide range of emotional responses that can influence individuals’ engagement in pro-environmental behaviour (PEBs). This cross-sectional study examined the association between trait mindfulness and PEBs, with a focus on the mediating role of eco-emotions, including eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger. A total of 259 adults were recruited in central Italy using a non-probabilistic snowball sampling method and completed self-report measures assessing trait mindfulness, eco-emotions, and PEBs. Data were analysed using a parallel mediation model. Results indicated that only eco-anger mediated the association between trait mindfulness and PEBs. Neither eco-anxiety nor eco-depression showed significant indirect effects. These findings suggest that eco-anger represents a distinct emotional pathway through which mindfulness-related regulatory processes can translate into environmentally relevant action, highlighting the differentiated motivational roles of eco-emotions. By clarifying the emotional mechanisms linking trait mindfulness to PEBs, this study provides new evidence contributing to the literature on individual differences, eco-emotions, and environmental psychology. The findings also offer practical implications for developing psychologically informed interventions to promote PEBs by integrating emotional activation with emotion regulation processes. Full article

Background: Eco-anxiety is increasingly viewed as a multidimensional response to the climate crisis, but its links with religiosity and sustainable nutrition behaviors in highly religious settings are unclear. We identified eco-anxiety profiles in Turkish adults; compared religiosity, sustainable nutrition behaviors, and body mass index (BMI) across profiles; and examined the multivariate network connecting these domains. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey in Türkiye included 1105 adults (69.3% women; age 25.8 ± 8.4 years; BMI 23.5 ± 4.5 kg/m²). Participants completed the Eco-anxiety Scale, Duke University Religion Index, and Behaviors Scale Toward Sustainable Nutrition. Latent profile analysis used four eco-anxiety subscales. Between-profile differences were tested using canonical discriminant analysis and Kruskal–Wallis tests. A Gaussian graphical model estimated with EBICglasso assessed network connectivity. Results: Four profiles emerged: High (11.9%), Moderate (54.8%), Affective-dominant (8.3%), and Low (24.9%). Compared with the Low profile, the High profile showed higher sustainable nutrition scores for food preference, seasonal/local nutrition, and food purchasing (all p < 0.05); however, effect sizes were small (η²_H = 0.008–0.014), indicating modest practical differences. BMI did not differ across profiles (p = 0.211). In the network, seasonal/local nutrition had the highest strength centrality, whereas BMI was peripheral and weakly connected to other nodes. Conclusions: Eco-anxiety was heterogeneous and showed modest associations with sustainable nutrition behaviors at the group level, without differences in BMI. These preliminary findings suggest that eco-anxiety may co-occur with more sustainable food-related choices, generating hypotheses for future replication. Full article

Eco-anxiety has emerged as a significant psychological response to the climate crisis. Yet its relationship with pro-environmental behavior remains far from settled, with findings ranging from behavioral paralysis to active engagement and seemingly contradictory evidence accumulating across studies. To clarify both the magnitude of this association and the conditions under which it holds, we conducted a systematic review and three-level random-effects meta-analysis. We systematically searched five databases (ProQuest, APA PsycArticles, PubMed, among others) through April 2025, identifying 20 independent studies that contributed 60 effect sizes (N = 34,206). The pooled results revealed a significant, small-to-moderate positive association between eco-anxiety and pro-environmental behavior (r = 0.24, 95% CI [0.15, 0.32], p < 0.001). So far, fairly straightforward. The complication emerged when examining heterogeneity: we observed substantial variation across studies (I² = 95.4%), with a 95% prediction interval ranging from −0.22 to 0.61. What this tells us is that eco-anxiety does not uniformly predict action across contexts; the variability is considerable and meaningful. Moderator analyses offered important clarification. The association proved significantly stronger for public and collective behaviors, such as activism and advocacy (r = 0.36), compared to private sphere actions (r = 0.22). Beyond this, effects were more robust in adult samples (r = 0.30) than among adolescents (r = 0.18). These findings suggest something worth emphasizing: eco-anxiety appears to function not merely as a pathological burden but as an adaptive, context-sensitive correlate of collective engagement. Put differently, the distress people experience in response to climate change may channel productively into systemic action, particularly when social and collective pathways are available. What this means for practice is significant. Future interventions, in this perspective, should focus on channeling climate distress toward collective, structural engagement rather than defaulting to individual behavioral prescriptions alone. Full article

Children’s responses to the climate crisis range from mistrust and helplessness to activism and eco-anxiety, highlighting the need for early educational experiences that foster constructive engagement. At the same time, the persistent underrepresentation of women in science highlights the importance of integrating gender awareness into science education. While hands-on activities and storytelling are widely recognized as effective educational strategies, less attention has been given to how these approaches can be meaningfully combined within a single learning experience. This exploratory study investigates the integration of hands-on environmental science activities and theatrical storytelling as an interdisciplinary, gender-aware educational design for children aged 6 to 11. The intervention included clean energy and greenhouse effect experiments guided by two actresses portraying pioneering scientists, Eunice Newton Foote and Susan Solomon, situating scientific concepts within narrative, historical, and social contexts. Qualitative observations and an exploratory analysis of children’s drawings indicate that narrative and embodied approaches can support cognitive and emotional engagement while fostering more inclusive representations of scientific practice. The study proposes a preliminary, interdisciplinary approach of engagement and inclusion, providing a starting point for future research on integrated, gender-aware environmental education. Full article

Electric vehicles (EVs) are central to low-carbon urban mobility, but range anxiety persists. In real fleet operations, vehicles are rarely discharged to low State-of-Charge (SOC), so the remaining driving range (RDR) labels are incomplete, hindering accurate RDR prediction and analysis of operating conditions. This paper proposes a label completion framework that reconstructs low SOC mileage and a hybrid mileage-factor-oriented residual regressor (MF-CMR) to learn mileage factors under SOC imbalance. Applied to one year of data from eight EVs in Guangzhou, China, the method achieves a mean absolute error of 0.88 and a coefficient of determination of 0.64, yielding completed trip-level RDR labels whose distribution centers around 241.73 km. Using the completed labels, a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with ambient temperature and driving style as factors shows that temperature is the dominant determinant of RDR, while driving style exerts a secondary but substantial effect, with a significant interaction. Together, the label completion framework and the quantified impacts of temperature and driving style enable more reliable RDR estimation from fleet logs, offering a quantitative basis for dispatching policies, charging margins, and eco-driving guidance in EV fleet services involving long distance trips or low SOC deep discharge scenarios. Full article

This study aims to examine the relationships among environmental sensitivity, eco-anxiety, and sustainable consumption behavior, thereby revealing how these variables interact within the framework of sustainability psychology. Conducted with a sample of 406 university students in Türkiye, the research employed a quantitative and cross-sectional design, and the proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that environmental sensitivity significantly predicts sustainable consumption behavior both directly and indirectly through eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between environmental sensitivity and sustainable consumption. In addition, the moderating effect of gender was investigated, and no significant differences were observed between women and men regarding the structural paths of the model. Overall, the results demonstrate that sustainable consumption behaviors are shaped not only by cognitive processes but also by emotional mechanisms, suggesting that eco-anxiety, as a motivational emotional response, may strengthen sustainable behavior. This study contributes to the environmental psychology literature by theoretically and empirically highlighting the decisive role of emotional processes in shaping sustainable behavior. The findings also provide important practical implications for sustainability policies, environmental education, and communication strategies. Full article

The ideals of community and collective action are key tenets of the environmental justice (EJ) movement. Yet the pervasive grind culture that underpins capitalist societies makes it challenging to embrace these core values. EJ convenings are organized by a variety of entities, including grassroots organizations, government agencies, environmental non-governmental agencies, and academic institutions, and often reflect the tone of the organizing entity. This work explores the impact of a community and academic partnered EJ summit in addressing ecological grief (eco-grief) and ecological anxiety (eco-anxiety), supporting collective action, and attending to healing justice. We interviewed thirteen participants who attended the 2024 Pittsburgh Environmental Justice Summit using semi-structured, open-ended questions. Drawing on insights from lived experiences with the environment and environmental harms, we sought to understand how participants perceived EJ, health, and healing, as well as the role of summits and community efforts in shaping these perspectives. Emotional impacts like eco-grief, eco-anxiety, and intergenerational trauma were other common themes established through the interviews. Despite negative emotions being more commonly expressed than positive emotions, hope emerged as the most widely expressed theme. The summit was viewed as a space for reflection, support, establishing new contacts, and promoting growth and resilience. The results underscore the importance of integrating emotional and psychological aspects into EJ frameworks as well as the value of community-based approaches that combine EJ and healing practices to foster resilience, promote equitable health outcomes, and cultivate hope through collective action and support. Full article