Worrying about individual health and worrying about ecological health; the relationship between eco-anxiety and health anxiety
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: Hypothesizing that there may be a relationship between eco-anxiety, which reflects concerns about the deterioration of ecological health, and health anxiety, which is an indicator of concern about the deterioration of personal health, we investigated the relationship between eco-anxiety and health anxiety, health cognitions, and metacognitions about health.Method: The study included 367 participants between the ages of 18 and 25.The sociodemographic data form, the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale, the Health Anxiety Inventory, the Health Cognitions Questionnaire, and the Metacognitions about Health Questionnaire were completed by the participants.Results: The total score of eco-anxiety was significantly higher in women than in men (p = 0.002).There was a significant positive correlation between the eco-anxiety scale and total scores of health anxiety, health cognitions, and metacognitions about health scales (p < 0.001).In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the eco-anxiety level and difficulty coping with illness, perceived likelihood of illness, awfulness of illness, beliefs that thoughts can cause illness, beliefs about biased thinking, and beliefs that thoughts are uncontrollable (p < 0.05).Discussion: Our findings point to the intertwined nature of eco-anxiety and health anxiety in an era of increasing environmental crises.Our study also suggests a positive correlation between eco-anxiety and health cognitions and metacognitive beliefs about health, suggesting this intersection.Understanding the complex interplay between ecological anxiety, health anxiety, health cognitions, and metacognitions about health is important for the development of targeted interventions.
Source: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Authors: Fatma Subaşı Turgut, Masum Öztürk
Institution: Dicle University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411572384