Climate change anxiety is associated with increases in generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms over one year (but not vice versa)

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of people report experiencing climate change anxiety, defined as anxiety and worry about anthropogenic climate change. Previous cross-sectional research showed that climate change anxiety is associated with reduced mental health. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this time-lagged study was to obtain a better understanding of the temporal directions underlying relations between climate change anxiety and generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. DESIGN: A two-wave survey study with measurement occasions separated by one year was conducted to explore potential reciprocal relations between climate change anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data came from 1,897 employed adults in Germany and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Higher levels of climate change anxiety were associated with subsequent increases in both generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms across one year, with and without controlling for age, gender, environmental attitudes, and experience of climate change. In contrast, generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with subsequent changes in climate change anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that experiencing climate change anxiety is associated with changes in people's mental health over time, whereas no evidence was found for associations between mental health and subsequent changes in climate change anxiety.