Association between climate change awareness and psychological distress among Turkish pregnant women: A cross-sectional study

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major global health threat, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. However, limited research has examined its psychological impacts on this group. This study aimed to examine whether higher climate change awareness is associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among pregnant women in Türkiye. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2025 and June 2025 with 267 pregnant women attending routine obstetric care at a public hospital. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Pregnancy-Specific Climate Change Awareness Scale (PS-CCAS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess relationships between variables. The mean total PS-CCAS score was 66.81 ± 20.97. Although no significant association was observed with depression, both climate change awareness (PS-CCAS) and climate change knowledge, assessed as a separate variable, emerged as significant predictors of anxiety and stress. Depression was more common among participants with lower education, longer marriage duration, urban residence, and pregnancy-related illness. Anxiety and stress were significantly linked to urban living and pregnancy-related illness, while stress was additionally associated with lower income. These findings highlight the need for targeted, psychologically safe climate education programs during pregnancy. Sociodemographic factors such as education level, income, and urban living should be considered when designing perinatal mental health interventions in the context of climate change.