Validation of the Eco-Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ-22) in Spanish young people: assessing the psychological impact of the ecological crisis

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major public health challenge with significant implications for mental health. Young people appear particularly vulnerable to climate-related distress, as heightened awareness of environmental degradation can generate persistent worry, fear, and uncertainty about the future. Recent research indicates that eco-anxiety and related emotional responses are widespread among adolescents and young adults, highlighting the need for reliable instruments to assess these psychological impacts. The study aimed to adapt and validate the Eco-Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ-22) for Spanish young adults. A total of 292 university students aged 18–25 years participated in an online survey. The factor structure of the instrument was examined through confirmatory factor analysis using the weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted estimator, internal consistency was assessed using ordinal alpha and McDonald’s omega, and measurement invariance across gender was tested. Convergent validity was evaluated by analysing the associations between eco-anxiety, climate change concern, and pro-environmental behaviour. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor structure of the EAQ-22, comprising the habitual ecological worry and the negative consequences of eco-anxiety, with generally acceptable model fit indices. Both subscales showed excellent internal consistency (ordinal α = 0.939 and 0.938; ω = 0.940 and 0.938, respectively). The same two-factor configuration was identified across gender, although the configural model showed suboptimal fit and metric invariance was not supported. Eco-anxiety was strongly associated with climate change concern and moderately associated with pro-environmental behaviour. The Spanish EAQ-22 shows satisfactory psychometric properties and may be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing eco-anxiety among Spanish young adults. Given the growing evidence that climate-related distress affects young people’s mental health and engagement with environmental issues, this tool may facilitate research, monitoring, and public health strategies to understand and address the psychological impacts of the ecological crisis.