Climate emotions: A grounded theory of climate emotions in students and a meta-analysis of gender differences in climate emotions

Regener, Paula (2025) Climate emotions: A grounded theory of climate emotions in students and a meta-analysis of gender differences in climate emotions. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Introduction
Human activity is the primary cause of climate breakdown, presenting one of the most significant challenges to humanity. Awareness of the threat that climate breakdown poses to all life on Earth causes distress in people, often described as climate or eco-anxiety. Young people especially experience this distress. However, there is no clear consensus on its impact. Although growing literature suggests that women report higher climate and eco-anxiety scores than men, this has not been consistently documented.

Methods
The systematic review, a meta-analysis, focused on synthesising gender (men, women) differences in climate and eco-anxiety, measured by the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) and Hoggs Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS). The empirical paper developed a grounded theory, adopting a critical realist approach, based on the experiences of 10 young people who were higher education students and identified as having climate anxiety or significant climate-related concerns.

Results
The meta-analysis found a small effect of gender, with women scoring higher on climate and eco-anxiety scales than men. Moderator and subgroup analyses of mean sample age and type of questionnaire revealed no impact on gender effects on climate and eco-anxiety scores. Visual inspection indicated that the country of residence did not obviously influence the gender effect. A cyclical explanatory model was developed regarding how awareness of climate breakdown grows, its emotional, cognitive, relational, and mental health impacts, and what coping strategies are beneficial, such as making sense of it all, acceptance, connecting with what is important, and taking action.

Conclusion
Overall, the meta-analysis found that women score higher than men on climate and eco-anxiety measures, and the empirical project developed a grounded theory of growing climate breakdown awareness, its impact and helpful coping strategies in higher education students who identified as having climate anxiety or significant concerns. Recommendations for future research and clinical implications were given.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	06 Nov 2025 09:22
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2025 09:22
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100909
DOI:

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