Concern about the future: Climate change perception predicts eco-anxiety among young generations in Indonesia

Environmental problems or ecological crises are the problems that we are currently facing and need our special attention. Environmental problems are often followed by environmental anxiety or eco-anxiety. Like anxiety in general, environmental anxiety can cause various negative impacts on humans. This study aimed to determine the relationship between climate change perceptions and eco-anxiety among people in Indonesia who are in early adulthood. This study used a quantitative approach with 165 respondents. Respondents were selected using the incidental sampling method. Data collection was carried out online using the Climate Change Perception Scale (CCPS) and the Hogg Environmental Anxiety Scale (HEAS-13), which have been adapted into Indonesian language. This study hypothesized that climate change perception predicts eco-anxiety in early adulthood. Data analysis using linear regression showed that the hypothesis was accepted, climate change perception significantly predicts eco-anxiety in young people (b* = 0.282; b = 0.212; p < 0.01). However, additional analysis showed that some aspects of climate change perception were not associated with eco-anxiety. The implications of this study for policy and public mental health are discussed.