Climate Anxiety in a Young Population at Risk of Suicide

Обзор

Climate change has become a major source of concern, particularly among younger generations who are facing the progressive degradation of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and alarming environmental information disseminated through the media. The direct perception of climate-related disruptions has been shown to engender a profound sense of helplessness and loss. This distress, termed eco-anxiety, is characterised by feelings of fear, sadness and guilt regarding the planet's future. In a context where there has been a marked increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts among young people over the past decade, it is essential to explore the psychological manifestations of eco-anxiety within this vulnerable population. The paucity of studies investigating this association underscores the significance of the present research. The aims of this study is to examine the relationship between climate anxiety and suicidal risk among young people aged 16 to 24 years. The study will encompass 108 young participants aged between 16 and 24 years, who are either hospitalised or receiving outpatient psychiatric care. Each participant will be required to complete one clinician-administered assessment, namely the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and two self-report questionnaires: the Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version (CCAS-FR) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y). Furthermore, a sociodemographic questionnaire will be administered in order to collect information regarding the subjects' age, sex, education level, living conditions, and psychiatric history. It is hypothesised that there is a positive association between climate anxiety and suicidal risk, with the most eco-anxious participants showing higher C-SSRS scores. It is further predicted that eco-anxiety will correlate with elevated levels of state and trait anxiety, with the potential for modulating this relationship by sociodemographic factors, including gender. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the psychological impacts of climate change on young people and help identify the most vulnerable profiles.

Подробное описание

The Anx-RS France study investigates the association between climate change-related anxiety (eco-anxiety) and suicidal ideation among young people aged 16 to 24 years in France. Growing evidence suggests that climate change may contribute to psychological distress and feelings of hopelessness in younger generations. However, data on the link between eco-anxiety and suicide risk in this age group remain limited.

This is an observational, cross-sectional study including 108 participants recruited from university settings and the general population in France. Eligible participants are aged 16-24 years, fluent in French, and provide informed consent (parental consent is obtained for minors). Participants will be excluded if they have a health condition that prevents them from understanding or completing the study questionnaires. This includes major sensory impairments (e.g., deafness, blindness), severe psychiatric disorders affecting cognition or communication (e.g., acute psychosis, pervasive developmental disorder, confusional state), or current hospitalization in specialized psychiatric units for severe mental illness.

Participants complete a self-administered online survey composed of three validated instruments:

* Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) - measuring anxiety, rumination, and functional impairment related to climate change. * State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T/Y) - assessing general trait anxiety levels. * Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - evaluating suicidal ideation and behavior.

Descriptive analyses will estimate the prevalence and intensity of climate-related anxiety. Correlational and multivariate analyses will assess the association between eco-anxiety (CCAS) and suicidal ideation (C-SSRS), adjusting for general anxiety levels (STAI-T/Y).

The results will improve understanding of how climate-related distress affects mental health and suicide risk among young people in France, and support prevention strategies and mental-health policy adaptation to emerging environmental stressors.

Вмешательства

• Другое Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
  Standardized tool for evaluating suicidal ideation and behavior. Measures severity and intensity of suicidal thoughts and actions.
• Другое Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version
  22-item self-report questionnaire assessing cognitive, emotional, functional, and pro-environmental dimensions of climate change-related anxiety.
• Другое State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, French version
  40-item self-report inventory measuring both state and trait anxiety levels.
• Другое Socio demographic profil
  Collects demographic and background variables such as age, gender, education level and living conditions.

Первичные конечные точки

• Climate Change Anxiety Score [Срок оценки: 10 min]
• Suicide Risk Score [Срок оценки: 10 min]

Вторичные конечные точки (2)

• Extended Dimensions of Climate Change Anxiety [Срок оценки: 10 min]
• State and Trait Anxiety Scores [Срок оценки: 20 min]

Критерии участия

Критерии включения

• Men and women, boys and girls ;
• Aged between 16 and 24;
• Participants seen in adult or pediatric emergency departments, hospitalised in adult psychiatry or in child and adolescent psychiatry, or seen in outpatient consultation at Esquirol Hospital Center ;
• Affiliated with a social security scheme or entitled to coverage under one ;
• Having received full information about the study and having co-signed, together with the investigator, an informed consent form to participate in the study.
• For minor participants: the consent to participate in the study must be signed by the holder(s) of parental authority, and the minor's assent will also be required.

Критерии исключения

• Participants will not be included in the study if their health condition is incompatible with understanding or completing the questionnaires used. This includes, in particular ;
• Any chronic somatic pathology or major sensory impairment (for example : deafness or blindness) preventing reading, comprehension or communication with healthcare professionals ;
• Any severe psychiatric pathology that significantly impairs cognitive or communication abilities, such as acute psychotic disorders, pervasive developmental disorders or confusional states ;
• Participants hospitalised in units specialising in severe psychiatric disorders with major impairment of cognitive functions.
• Adults under legal protection, in accordance with article L 1121-8 of the Public Health Code ;
• Insufficient command of the French language

Критерии приведены из реестра в оригинале (на английском). Окончательную оценку соответствия проводит исследовательский центр.

Дизайн исследования

Модель наблюдения

Случай-контроль

Центры проведения

Франция · 1 центр

• Hospital Esquirol Center — Limoges

Идентификаторы

NCT: NCT07305688 · 2025-A00139-40

Первоисточники (государственные реестры)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH, США)

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