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A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Climate Anxiety and Environmentally Relevant Behaviours
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Description: Background: The notion of ‘climate anxiety’ has received increasing attention in recent years. There is however inconsistency in the literature regarding associations with environmentally relevant behaviours (ERBs), concerning behaviours which helo mitigate against climate change. This systematic review sought to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise findings from studies exploring this association. Methods: Peer-reviewed, empirical studies using quantitative approaches to explore climate anxiety and associations with various ‘public’ and ‘private’ sphere ERBs were the focus of this review. Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase and ERIC databases were searched in May 2023. The Quality of Survey Studies in Psychology (Q-SSP) quality assessment checklist was used to assess study quality. A narrative synthesis grouped findings according to similarities in conceptualisations and measurement approaches. Results: 24 studies were reviewed, including over 35,000 participants. Most studies were considered of acceptable quality. Despite representation from 40 countries, participants were largely from predominantly individualistic and Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) cultures, with notable gender, sex and age biases among samples. Positive associations were frequently observed between climate anxiety and ERBs. Some studies reported non-significant associations, while negative associations were less common. Stronger associations were observed in relation to: (i) less severe and functionally impairing climate anxiety, (ii) public sphere ERBs, (iii) behavioural intentions and willingness as compared to self-reported behaviours, (iv) composite scores on measures, (v) WEIRD and individualistic cultural orientations. Stronger associations were observed when correlation analyses were used, while inferential approaches incorporating other variables revealed less consistent and more nuanced findings. Discussion: Results indicate climate anxiety may, for many, be associated with ERBs. Methodological approaches, individual and systemic factors may, however, influence this relationship. While this review is not without limitations, findings may contribute to a broader, complex and multifaceted picture regarding the adaptive versus maladaptive nature of climate anxiety.