Cosh Suzanne M, Williams Sarah E, Lykins Amy D, Bartik Warren, Tully Phillip J
School of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Dec 18;12(1):738. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02240-4.
Climate change anxiety, that is worry and fear in relation to the awareness of the impacts of climate change, is widely observed around the world. Some evidence suggests that while climate change anxiety can, at times, be adaptive, a growing body of research has reported that climate change anxiety is also related to a range of negative mental health outcomes and psychological distress. Currently, however, there is limited ability to assess for elevated levels of climate change anxiety and to identify those who may need support. The present study, therefore, aimed to develop clinical cut-off scores on a measure of climate change anxiety.
A largely representative sample of Australian young adults (aged 16-25 years) completed measures of psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale. Markers of clinically meaningful psychological distress - elevated depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms-were used to classify cases. Receiver Operating Characteristics analyses were performed to assess the predictive ability of the indicators of psychological distress (mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe thresholds of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms) for detecting climate change anxiety and to ascertain optimal cut-off scores.
The Area Under the Curve was acceptable to moderate for detecting climate change anxiety across all analyses. Across symptom severity thresholds and markers of psychological distress, based on consideration of balancing sensitivity and specificity, results consistently suggested that a cut-score of 21 was indicative of mild-moderate climate change anxiety, with a cut-off score of 23 indicating severe-extremely severe climate change anxiety.
The proposed cut-offs can feasibly be used to identify those with elevated climate change anxiety. Use of these cut-off scores can inform research as well as be used to guide screening, assessment, and inform clinical practice. Results also highlight a high rate of climate change anxiety in young adults.
气候变化焦虑，即与对气候变化影响的认知相关的担忧和恐惧，在全球范围内广泛存在。一些证据表明，虽然气候变化焦虑有时可能具有适应性，但越来越多的研究报告称，气候变化焦虑也与一系列负面心理健康结果和心理困扰有关。然而，目前评估气候变化焦虑水平升高以及识别可能需要支持的人群的能力有限。因此，本研究旨在制定一种气候变化焦虑测量方法的临床临界分数。
一个具有广泛代表性的澳大利亚年轻人样本（年龄在16 - 25岁之间）完成了心理困扰测量（抑郁、焦虑和压力量表 - 21）以及气候变化焦虑量表。具有临床意义的心理困扰指标——抑郁、焦虑和压力症状升高——被用于对病例进行分类。进行了受试者工作特征分析，以评估心理困扰指标（焦虑、抑郁和压力症状的轻度、中度、重度和极重度阈值）对检测气候变化焦虑的预测能力，并确定最佳临界分数。
在所有分析中，曲线下面积对于检测气候变化焦虑来说处于可接受至中等水平。在症状严重程度阈值和心理困扰指标方面，基于对敏感性和特异性平衡的考虑，结果一致表明，临界分数为21表明存在轻度至中度气候变化焦虑，临界分数为23表明存在重度至极重度气候变化焦虑。
所提议的临界值可切实用于识别气候变化焦虑水平升高的人群。使用这些临界分数可为研究提供信息，也可用于指导筛查、评估并为临床实践提供参考。结果还凸显了年轻人中气候变化焦虑的高发生率。
