Youthful Hope vs Seasoned Despair: A Study of Eco-Anxiety, Climate Grief, and Environmental Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Through the recent years, concern about and evidence of climate change has been on a rise so much so that it has not only influenced the physical environment but also the psychological landscape of individuals. The research looked into the generational differences in perceived emotional stress from environmental threats, perceived grief caused by loss and degradation of the natural environment and, the role of self-efficacy to stressors brought upon by climate change. The researchers explored the delicate relationship between eco-anxiety, climate grief and, environmental self-efficacy using Climate Change Worry Scale (Stewart, 2021) (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020), Eco-Grief Scale (Gabrielle Loisel, 2022) and Environmental Self-Efficacy Scale (Moeller & Stahlmann, 2019). The data consisted of individuals from the Indian subcontinent. India is rich in biodiversity, varies in types of ecosystems and is vulnerable to a spectrum of climate catastrophes. The study acknowledged the diverse socio-cultural context, generational diversity, economic disparities, and unique environmental challenges by focusing on different age groups. The findings aimed to contribute not only to the academic discourse on climate psychology but also to raise awareness on perceived responsibility when dealing with climate change.