Dominguez-Rodriguez Alejandro, Apprich Frederic, Friehs Maximilian A, van der Graaf Shenja, Steinrücke Johannes
Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, the Netherlands.
Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, the Netherlands.
Acta Psychol (Amst). 2025 May;255:104925. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104925. Epub 2025 Mar 19.
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human life, and news about it can significantly impact mental health. Furthermore, doomscrolling, that is habitual negative consumption, may further exacerbate these effects. Understanding the associated risks and protective factors is crucial for supporting the most affected groups. However, no research has examined the relationship between doomscrolling and climate change news.
We employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the relationship between general doomscrolling and climate change-specific doomscrolling in a sample of 365 participants. Furthermore, we examined the influence of demographic factors, risk factors (anxiety and depression), and protective factors (social support and coping skills) on both types of doomscrolling.
Analyses of the final sample revealed a significant positive correlation between general doomscrolling and climate change-specific doomscrolling. Additionally, the study suggests a gender difference, with females exhibiting a greater propensity for doomscrolling behavior. Risk factors for doomscrolling were explored, with both anxiety and depressive symptoms demonstrating positive associations. Depression correlated positively with doomscrolling for females, and it displayed a negative correlation for males. Anxiety consistently demonstrated a positive association with general and climate change-specific doomscrolling. Social support did not significantly protect against either form of doomscrolling. Conversely, the study identified coping skills as a potential protective factor, albeit with a modest effect size.
Given climate change's continued prominence within the news cycle, developing effective coping mechanisms becomes increasingly crucial. This study underscores the importance of designing interventions that empower individuals to navigate the negativity inherent in news consumption.
气候变化是对人类生命的最大威胁之一，有关气候变化的新闻会对心理健康产生重大影响。此外，末日滚动，即习惯性的负面信息浏览，可能会进一步加剧这些影响。了解相关风险和保护因素对于支持受影响最严重的群体至关重要。然而，尚无研究考察末日滚动与气候变化新闻之间的关系。
我们采用横断面设计，在365名参与者的样本中研究一般末日滚动与特定于气候变化的末日滚动之间的关系。此外，我们考察了人口统计学因素、风险因素（焦虑和抑郁）以及保护因素（社会支持和应对技能）对这两种末日滚动类型的影响。
对最终样本的分析显示，一般末日滚动与特定于气候变化的末日滚动之间存在显著正相关。此外，研究表明存在性别差异，女性表现出更高的末日滚动行为倾向。我们探讨了末日滚动的风险因素，焦虑和抑郁症状均呈现正相关。抑郁与女性的末日滚动呈正相关，与男性呈负相关。焦虑始终与一般末日滚动和特定于气候变化的末日滚动呈正相关。社会支持并未显著预防任何一种形式的末日滚动。相反，研究确定应对技能是一个潜在的保护因素，尽管效应量较小。
鉴于气候变化在新闻周期中持续占据显著地位，制定有效的应对机制变得越来越关键。本研究强调了设计干预措施的重要性，这些措施能使个体应对新闻消费中固有的负面信息。
