Matteo Innocenti

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 (EA_MORE) and less engaged (EA_LESS) groups to identify predictors of climate change worry.

Results. EA_MORE reported significantly higher climate change worry than EA_LESS. In EA_MORE, climate change worry was predicted by mental health, collective self-efficacy, and perceived individual and social norms. In EA_LESS, climate change worry was predicted by mental health and perceived individual and social norms, whereas collective self-efficacy was not significant.

Conclusions. 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.