About this Research Topic

Background

Climate change anxiety (CCA) is an emerging yet not clearly defined concept. Closely related to eco-anxiety, a psychoterratic syndrome is defined as a widespread, generalized reaction to the state of the planetary ecosystems. CCA has been proposed to encompass anxiety-related symptoms and manifestations in response to climate change. Like anxiety, CCA serves as an adaptive response leading to preparation for forthcoming events and potential threats. Indeed, CCA has been proposed to lay on a continuum leading to severe symptoms, potentially resulting in climate anxiety disorder. Although an official clinical definition does not exist, treating CCA in this way opens a debate on the legitimacy of pathologizing an adaptive response towards a long-lasting, and increasingly worsening issue. Conversely, several pieces of evidence discuss the adaptive nature of CCA in motivating intentions and actions. However, results are mixed, and the CCA motivating effect could be the opposite, depending on contextual and cognitive factors.

This Research Topic wishes to explore a better understanding and characterization of CCA, and its relationship with contextual social, geographical, and cognitive factors. Specifically, psychometric tools have recently been proposed and validated across different cultures. However, despite the name, CCA is closely linked to feelings of uncertainty, anticipation, worry, grief, anger, and other eco-emotions, as well as other psychoterratic syndromes, such as pre-and post-traumatic stress disorder related to the consequences of climate change. Most importantly, to understand the adaptive nature of this construct, research on the issue recently started investigating the relationship between CCA and its subdimensions with intentions to act and actual behaviors, leading to mixed and inconclusive results. Therefore, this Research Topic welcomes empirical evidence on the drivers and causes of CCA on an individual and collective level; to understand its relationship with general anxiety and its role in fostering climate change adaptation.

The discussion around eco-anxiety and CCA is still embryonic, and further research is needed to disentangle the relationship between CCA and general anxiety as well as other eco-emotions. The final goal of research in this area would be to appropriately address eco-anxiety and canalize a way to improve climate change adaptation in upcoming years.

This Research Topic aims to gather empirical papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to the following fields:
• Relationship with other eco-emotions (e.g., differential effects of eco-fear and eco-anger)
• Relationship with self and collective efficacy in predicting and mediating CCA,
• CCA development in vulnerable contexts,
• Neuro-cognitive factors related to CCA,
• Research that sheds light on the relationship between CCA, intentions, and actual behaviors.

Methodological robustness, transparency, and replicability of practices are prioritized in selecting studies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: climate change anxiety, eco-sustainability, eco-emotions, psychoterratic syndromes, climate change adaptation, mood regulation, efficacy, perception

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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