Climate change and daily wellbeing: The role of environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors

While the effect of climate change on the environment, economy, and chronic health is increasingly evident, its impact on everyday wellbeing remains relatively less understood. This study investigated how environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors relate to everyday wellbeing. We hypothesized that the presence of these daily stressors would be linked to experiences of higher negative affect. To capture individuals' daily experiences in an ecologically valid manner, experience sampling methodology was adopted. Over the course of a day, participants were randomly prompted once within every hour (a total of 10 prompts) to report their negative affect and encounters with specified daily stressors. The environmental, governmental, and commute-related stressors were linked to higher negative affect. Environmental stressors were uniquely associated with worse daily wellbeing after accounting for health stressors. Environmental stressors also interacted with other governmental stressors. Particularly, the experience of both environmental and governmental stressors was cumulatively associated with significantly higher negative affect, compared to either one of these stressors being absent. These findings highlight the connection between environmental stressors with governmental and health stressors and the daily toll these stressors can have on individuals' everyday wellbeing. This work emphasizes the importance of addressing complex stressors relevant to climate change vulnerabilities.