Complex psychological responses to climate change: a longitudinal study exploring the interplay between climate change awareness and climate change anxiety among Chinese adolescents

BackgroundAdolescents are increasingly recognized as important stakeholders in responding to the challenges of climate change, with their psychological responses shaping both mental health outcomes and behavioral choices. However, the intricate relationship between climate change awareness and climate change anxiety among adolescents, as significant manifestations of psychological reactions to climate change, has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Grounded in the Stress and Coping Theory, this study aimed to empirically investigate the bidirectional relationship between climate change awareness and climate change anxiety among Chinese adolescents.MethodsData were collected through a three-wave longitudinal survey (2022-2024) from 426 Chinese adolescents. We employed repeated measures ANOVA to examine developmental patterns and gender differences in climate change awareness and climate change anxiety, and constructed cross-lagged panel models, along with the calculation of feedback effects, to investigate their reciprocal relationships across time points.ResultsResults revealed significant increases in both climate change awareness and climate change anxiety over time, with females consistently exhibiting higher levels. Cross-lagged analyses demonstrated that climate change awareness significantly predicted an increase in climate change anxiety, and climate change anxiety, in turn, significantly enhanced climate change awareness. Furthermore, the feedback effect between climate change awareness and climate change anxiety was significant at both T1-T2 and T2-T3 intervals.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a bidirectional relationship between climate change awareness and anxiety among adolescents, providing a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for understanding adolescents' complex psychological responses to climate change. It also presents valuable suggestions for implementing targeted mental health interventions, and climate change education.