{"title":"Climate Change Worry in Italian Young Adults: Psychosocial Predictors and Differences by Level of Environmental Activism Engagement.","authors":"Daniela Acquadro Maran, Matteo Innocenti, Tatiana Begotti","doi":"10.11621/pir.2026.0101","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Climate change worry is an increasingly relevant emotional response among young adults. However, less is known about the psychosocial predictors of climate change worry and whether these associations differ by level of environmental activism engagement.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examined psychosocial predictors of climate change worry in Italian young adults, focusing on mental health, personality traits, perceived individual and social norms, and individual and collective climate self-efficacy. A secondary aim compared more engaged versus less engaged participants.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Using convenience and snowball sampling via social media and word of mouth, 302 Italian young adults aged 18-35 years (<i>M</i> = 24.20, <i>SD</i> = 3.73; 62% female) completed an online survey. Group differences were tested using one-way ANOVAs. Multiple regression analyses were conducted separately in the more engaged (EA<sub>MORE</sub>) and less engaged (EA<sub>LESS</sub>) groups to identify predictors of climate change worry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EA<sub>MORE</sub> reported significantly higher climate change worry than EA-<sub>LESS</sub>. In EA<sub>MORE</sub>, climate change worry was predicted by mental health, collective self-efficacy, and perceived individual and social norms. In EA<sub>LESS</sub>, climate change worry was predicted by mental health and perceived individual and social norms, whereas collective self-efficacy was not significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Climate change worry appears to reflect a combination of well-being and normative/efficacy-related processes, with different patterns depending upon the level of activism engagement. Supporting effective coping strategies may help reduce the emotional burden associated with sustained engagement.</p>","PeriodicalId":44621,"journal":{"name":"Psychology in Russia-State of the Art","volume":"19 1","pages":"3-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13196898/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychology in Russia-State of the Art","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.11621/pir.2026.0101","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background: Climate change worry is an increasingly relevant emotional response among young adults. However, less is known about the psychosocial predictors of climate change worry and whether these associations differ by level of environmental activism engagement.
Objective: This study examined psychosocial predictors of climate change worry in Italian young adults, focusing on mental health, personality traits, perceived individual and social norms, and individual and collective climate self-efficacy. A secondary aim compared more engaged versus less engaged participants.
Method: Using convenience and snowball sampling via social media and word of mouth, 302 Italian young adults aged 18-35 years (M = 24.20, SD = 3.73; 62% female) completed an online survey. Group differences were tested using one-way ANOVAs. Multiple regression analyses were conducted separately in the more engaged (EAMORE) and less engaged (EALESS) groups to identify predictors of climate change worry.
Results: EAMORE reported significantly higher climate change worry than EA-LESS. In EAMORE, climate change worry was predicted by mental health, collective self-efficacy, and perceived individual and social norms. In EALESS, climate change worry was predicted by mental health and perceived individual and social norms, whereas collective self-efficacy was not significant.
Conclusion: Climate change worry appears to reflect a combination of well-being and normative/efficacy-related processes, with different patterns depending upon the level of activism engagement. Supporting effective coping strategies may help reduce the emotional burden associated with sustained engagement.
期刊介绍：
Established in 2008, the Russian Psychological Society''s Journal «Psychology in Russia: State of the Art» publishes original research on all aspects of general psychology including cognitive, clinical, developmental, social, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, psychology of labor and ergonomics, and methodology of psychological science. Journal''s list of authors comprises prominent scientists, practitioners and experts from leading Russian universities, research institutions, state ministries and private practice. Addressing current challenges of psychology, it also reviews developments in novel areas such as security, sport, and art psychology, as well as psychology of negotiations, cyberspace and virtual reality. The journal builds upon theoretical foundations laid by the works of Vygotsky, Luria and other Russian scientists whose works contributed to shaping the psychological science worldwide, and welcomes international submissions which make major contributions across the range of psychology, especially appreciating the ones conducted in the paradigm of the Russian psychological tradition. It enjoys a wide international readership and features reports of empirical studies, book reviews and theoretical contributions, which aim to further our understanding of psychology.
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