Appréhender l’éco-anxiété : une approche clinique et phénoménologique

Climate change is one of the most important threats of the 21st century because of its social, economic and health consequences. From a psychological point of view, it is also a source of anxiety. The concept of eco-anxiety as it's known, is relatively recent and requires some clarification. In order to explore this phenomenon, a qualitative study was conducted with 18 participants aged between 19 and 48 years old. They participated in individual semi-directive interviews or focus groups, that were subject to a thematic content analysis. These analyses made it possible to highlight a construct comprised of a variety of symptoms that can be divided into six dimensions. Three dimensions that were already mentioned in the literature were highlighted: negative moods and cognitions related to the anticipation of the effects of climate change, anxiety and somatic manifestations. In addition, three new dimensions emerged from the interviews: questioning one's life choices, an intense stress experienced at the mention of the climate crisis and an evaluation of relationships with others towards isolation and more selective relationships. The psychopathological consequences of ecoanxiety, characterized by an exacerbation of some of the symptomatic dimensions identified in this research, could manifest itself especially in individuals who do not have sufficient resources to implement effective stress coping strategies. Therefore, treatment should focus on stress management (promote using different coping strategies), cognitive-emotion regulation (identifying dysfunctional thoughts and supporting values).