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Disentangling Climate Worry and Psychological Distress: Data From the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
Vilja Helminen1, Markus Jokela1, Marko Elovainio1
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Summary
Climate beliefs significantly impact mental health, with bidirectional links to psychological distress. Individual belief in influencing political decisions increases vulnerability to climate crisis mental health effects.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Climate Change Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Climate change anxiety is linked to adverse mental health outcomes.
- Climate beliefs, as a cognitive aspect of climate anxiety, require further investigation regarding their association with psychological distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between different climate beliefs and psychological distress symptoms.
- To test if political efficacy moderates the relationship between climate beliefs and psychological distress.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (N=34,318).
- Employed cross-lagged panel network models to analyze bidirectional associations.
Main Results:
- A bidirectional relationship was found between climate beliefs and psychological distress.
- Belief in responsibility strongly correlated with increased distress; belief in inevitability showed mixed associations.
- Individuals perceiving influence on political decisions were most vulnerable to climate crisis mental health impacts.
Conclusions:
- Climate beliefs have a complex, bidirectional impact on psychological distress.
- Political efficacy plays a crucial role in moderating the mental health effects of climate change beliefs.
- Understanding these dynamics is vital for mental health interventions addressing the climate crisis.
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