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Planning for Tomorrow: A Mixed Methods Study of Undergraduate Climate Anxiety
By Everan Horwood

Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Honours in Psychology

in the
Psychology Department
Faculty of Arts and Sciences

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Abstract

Climate anxiety, characterized by distress related to climate change, is increasingly
prevalent among younger generations, with significant implications for mental health and daily
functioning (Hickman et al., 2021; Ogunbode, 2021). However, little is known about how it
affects long-term planning, including decisions about housing, career, education, and family.
This study investigates that relationship among undergraduate students in British Columbia using
a mixed-methods approach. The Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) (Clayton & Karazsia,
2020) quantified levels of climate anxiety, while semi-structured interviews explored its impact
on future planning.
Survey data (N = 36) revealed that women and non-binary participants reported
significantly higher climate anxiety than men, and South Asian and Latino students reported
lower anxiety than white students. Qualitative data from five interviews were analyzed using
grounded theory, revealing three main themes: the individualization of climate responsibility,
uncertainty and paralysis in future planning, and anticipatory grief around environmental and
lifestyle loss. Many participants struggled to envision stable futures, especially regarding
housing and family, and expressed moral conflict over reproducing in a climate-changing world.
Findings offer insight into how climate anxiety shapes young people’s decision-making and
highlight the need for structural supports and mental health resources to address these challenges.

Keywords: Climate Change, Climate Anxiety, Students

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Acknowledgements

To my parents, thank you for your endless support. You have encouraged me to ask questions
my whole life. Your love and support continue to uplift me through anything.

To my partner, Jorgea. Thank you for listening to long rambles, proofreading countless drafts,
and rehearsing flashcards with me throughout this whole degree. You motivate me every day.

To my study supervisor, Dr. Sarah Yercich. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and kindness
with me. You were an incredible cheerleader and mentor.

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Land Acknowledgement

The respect and care I have for these lands are a major motivation for this study. I acknowledge
that this work was conducted on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
(Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. These
Nations are the original and continued caretakers of these lands. As an uninvited guest of mixed
Métis and European settler ancestry, I feel deeply privileged to live, learn, and conduct research
here, and I remain committed to ongoing respect and care for these territories and their peoples.

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Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Who Experiences Climate Anxiety?............................................................................................ 7
Future Planning............................................................................................................................ 8
Methods........................................................................................................................................... 9
Recruitment and Sample .............................................................................................................. 9
Survey ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Qualitative Interviews................................................................................................................ 11
Results ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Climate Change Anxiety Scale .................................................................................................. 13
Qualitative Interviews................................................................................................................ 16
Survey Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 21
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Responsibility and Hope ............................................................................................................ 22
Uncertainty and Grief ................................................................................................................ 24
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 26
References ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 32
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 34
Appendix C ................................................................................................................................... 36
Appendix D ................................................................................................................................... 38
Appendix E ................................................................................................................................... 39

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Introduction
The prevalence of climate anxiety is significantly growing among younger generations,
negatively impacting their quality of life and daily functioning (Hickman et al., 2021; Mateer,
2024). Climate anxiety, often used interchangeably with eco-anxiety, is defined by feelings of
fear, helplessness, grief, and anger related to current and anticipated climate impacts on
humanity and non-human species (Doherty & Clayton, 2011). Climate anxiety affects
individuals not only through direct experiences with environmental disasters but also through
indirect exposure via media, social discourse, and education (Clayton, 2020). As younger
generations navigate a climate changing world, future uncertainties surrounding the impacts of
climate change may impact their plans and goals for the future (Daeninck et al., 2021).
Undergraduate students, many of whom are in the process of making decisions about careers,
education, family planning, and housing, are at a uniquely vulnerable developmental stage.
Despite its growing significance, existing research on climate anxiety lacks a qualitative lens,
which fails to capture the complexity and nuance of its effects (Coffey et al., 2021). The present
study aims to understand how feelings of climate anxiety interact with current undergraduate
students’ plans and goals for the future across 4 dimensions: career, education, housing, and
family planning.
Existing climate anxiety literature tends to focus on general prevalence rates, often
overlooking how intersecting factors such as race, income, gender, and field of study shape
experiences of climate anxiety. For example, recent studies have critiqued the framing of climate
anxiety as a predominantly white, middle-class phenomenon, arguing that it can obscure
ongoing, present-tense climate harm disproportionately affecting marginalized communities

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(Ray, 2024; Verlie, 2024). These critiques emphasize the need for research that situates climate
anxiety within broader systems of inequality, colonialism, and privilege.
To address these gaps, the present study employs a mixed methods approach to examine
how climate anxiety shapes the lives of undergraduate students in British Columbia. Specifically,
it investigates how climate-related worry influences future planning across four domains: career,
education, housing, and family planning. A quantitative survey using the Climate Change
Anxiety Scale (CCAS) assesses the prevalence and demographic predictors of climate anxiety,
while semi-structured qualitative interviews provide insight into the complexities students face
as they imagine and navigate their futures in a climate changing world. This approach allows for
both breadth and depth, identifying who is most affected, and how they experience and respond
to climate distress.

Background
Who Experiences Climate Anxiety?
Climate anxiety is more prevalent among younger generations, specifically those under
35 (Reinhart, 2018). Younger generations are more likely to experience climate anxiety due to
the perception, and reality, that they will live through the intensifying consequences of climate
change (Reinhart, 2018; Swim et al., 2022). However, many variables beyond age can influence
the prevalence of climate anxiety. While recent research has not consistently identified income as
a significant predictor of climate anxiety, income alone does not fully capture a person’s access
to resources or structural privilege. Other indicators, such as education level and geographic
location, may play a more substantial role. For instance, in a large global survey of 10,000 young
people across ten countries, climate anxiety was most pronounced in the Global South. In the
Philippines, 84% of youth reported being extremely or very worried about climate change,

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compared to 68% in India and 67% in Brazil. This contrasts with lower levels of extreme
concern in wealthier countries such as Finland (44%), the United Kingdom (49%), and the
United States (46%) (Hickman et al., 2021). These findings suggest that education and proximity
to climate-related harms may influence anxiety more than income alone. However, existing
research often fails to distinguish between race and class or to explore how intersecting identities
shape experiences of climate anxiety. Without a qualitative lens, the complexity of who
experiences climate anxiety, and why, can be flattened into overly simplistic demographic
categories.
The impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed, with racially and
socioeconomically marginalized communities being disproportionately vulnerable to changing
climate conditions and have access to the least resources to recover from devastating climate
events (Berberian et al., 2022). However, despite marginalized communities being more at risk
for direct harm from a changing climate, white people are increasingly feeling climate anxiety as
an existential threat (Verlie, 2024). Conversations of climate anxiety are increasingly happening
in white environmentalist circles, which has been critiqued as white people holding on to the
comforts of their privilege, while marginalized communities feel the impact (Ray, 2024).
Climate anxiety has been discussed as a form of privilege, to be able to worry about the future,
while not actively fearing for the present (Stivers 2016; Wray, 2022). The present study aimed to
deepen existing understandings of how climate anxiety is experienced by collecting participant
demographics including age, gender, race, income, and program of study, to explore how these
variables may shape students’ future-oriented responses to the climate crisis.

Future Planning

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Evidence exists of the link between uncertainty of the future and climate anxiety;
however, there is insufficient literature regarding how climate anxiety impacts an individual's
future planning behaviors (Daeninck et al., 2023). In a global study comprised of 10,000 youth
participants, 75% said they think the future is frightening (Hickman et al., 2021). This was
assessed by asking participants to agree/disagree with the statement “The future is frightening.”
This survey response option does not account for non-climate change-related confounding
variables, such as the respondents' political, economic, and social status which significantly
affect both their perception and exposure to climate change (Ray, 2024).
It is unsurprising that individuals have difficulty imagining the future of a climatechanged world. Perhaps because over 80% of climate-related media is framed in negative terms
(Ray, 2020), and the reality of the future is too difficult to bear. Or perhaps because devastating
climate events are occurring with increasing frequency (Diffenbaugh et al., 2018). In addition to
exploring the prevalence of climate anxiety, this study aims to expand upon existing literature
investigating individuals’ perceptions of the future in a climate-changing world.

Methods
Recruitment and Sample
Participants were recruited using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling
methods. Recruitment efforts were primarily conducted through the principal investigator's social
media channels and within Capilano University classrooms. Additionally, physical recruitment
posters (see Appendix D) were displayed around the Capilano University campus and in cafés
throughout the Greater Vancouver Area. Participants were eligible if they were current or
recently graduated undergraduate students (within the past year), aged 19 or older, and residing
in British Columbia. There were no exclusions based on program or institution, as long as the

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institution was located within British Columbia. The QR code on the recruitment poster led
directly to the survey hosted on Qualtrics. The recruitment poster also included the principal
investigator’s email address, allowing interested individuals to request additional information or
arrange an interview directly. Those who completed the survey were invited to provide their
email address if they wished to participate in a follow-up interview.
Due to the study's timeline and available resources, convenience sampling was used to
identify potential participants. Snowball sampling was also employed, where interview
participants were asked to share the study recruitment poster with others who might meet the
eligibility criteria. Snowball sampling was utilized as a purposeful form of recruitment, to gather
individuals who would be willing to be interviewed (Kite & Whitley, 2018).
A total of 47 survey responses were collected; however, 36 responses were retained for
analysis after excluding incomplete surveys and those that were completed in under one minute.
Additionally, five participants completed interviews

Survey
The survey used in this study was an adapted version of the Climate Change Anxiety
Scale (CCAS; Clayton & Karazsia, 2020), a widely utilized measure in climate anxiety research.
While climate anxiety measures vary across studies, the CCAS has demonstrated strong internal
consistency and concurrent validity, making it an appropriate tool for the present study. The
original CCAS does not specifically assess participants' views of the future, an area that was
explored in the qualitative interviews. Therefore, modifications were made to the CCAS,
including the exclusion of items related to participants' direct exposure to climate events and
their pro-environmental behaviors (see Appendix C for survey instrument). These items were

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deemed unnecessary for this study as the interviews subsequently addressed participants'
personal experiences with climate change.
The survey also included demographic questions asking participants to report their age,
race, gender, income, and program of study. No other identifying information was collected to
maintain participant anonymity. The inclusion of demographic questions was intended to explore
the variation in climate anxiety across different subgroups within the undergraduate population,
as previous research has shown significant differences in climate anxiety prevalence based on
demographic factors (Reinhart, 2018; Teyton & Abramson, 2021). The goal of the present study
is not to medicalize or pathologize responses to the climate crisis, nor to make deductive
conclusions about who is most concerned for the planet. Instead, the focus is on identifying those
who view climate change as an existential threat.
The final survey consisted of 18 questions and an informed consent form and was
distributed via Qualtrics. The informed consent form (see Appendix B) outlined the study
procedure, motivations and purposes of the research, benefits and risks of participating, and use
of the information collected. It was clearly communicated that participation is voluntary, and
there are no consequences for withdrawing from the study. On average, participants took
approximately 5 minutes to complete the survey. Surveys that were incomplete or took less than
1 minute to complete (N = 11) were excluded from the analysis. After completing the survey,
participants were invited to provide their email address if they wished to participate in a followup interview that further explored their perceptions of the future.

Qualitative Interviews

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Participants in the interview portion of the study were invited to take part in a semistructured, in-person interview designed to explore how their perceptions of climate change
influence their views on and plans for the future. During the interviews, participants were asked
to address questions related to four key domains of future planning: career, education, housing,
and family planning. The interviews, which lasted approximately 30 minutes on average, were
recorded using the principal investigator's laptop. These interviews were conducted between
January and March 2024. Following the interviews, the principal investigator transcribed the
recordings verbatim using Turboscribe and manually edited them for accuracy. The resulting
transcripts were then analyzed using grounded theory to identify patterns and themes.
Grounded theory was selected to analyze the interview transcripts due to its ability
capture the nuanced perspectives of the participants. Given the complex and personal nature of
how climate change influences students plans and future perceptions, grounded theory allows for
an inductive and flexible approach that enables themes and patterns to emerge directly from the
data (Adu, 2019). The use of grounded theory ensures that the findings are rooted in the
participants’ experiences and perspectives.
Following the approach outlined by Adu (2019), the principal investigator began the data
analysis process by conducting line-by-line coding. Descriptive labels, or "codes," were assigned
to each segment of the data. These initial codes were then reviewed and refined to generate
preliminary themes. To ensure the accuracy of these interpretations, participants were sent the
preliminary themes related to their transcripts, along with direct quotes from their interviews,
and asked for permission to use the material. This step was crucial for accurately capturing the
participants' intended meanings and experiences. Participants were encouraged to suggest
revisions or changes to any part of their interview data. After receiving approval from all

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participants, the data underwent further refinement through an iterative process to ensure the
themes were both accurate and reflective of participants' perspectives. This analysis, using
grounded theory, identified three main themes and two subthemes.

Results
Climate Change Anxiety Scale
The distribution of total climate change anxiety scores (CCAS) was first examined using
a histogram (Fig. 1). The histogram indicated a rough symmetrical distribution, which means the
scores were fairly evenly spread out. To confirm this, the skewness and kurtosis of the
distribution was assessed. Skewness is a measure of whether the data tilts more to the right or
left, in this case, the skewness of total CCAS scores was found to be .33, indicating a small right
skew. This suggests that participants had lower levels of climate anxiety, but the difference is
minimal.
Kurtosis tells us about the shape of the data, whether it is more peaked or flat than normal
distribution. The kurtosis of total CCAS scores was found to be 2.37, indicating that the
distribution of scores was slightly flatter than normal distribution, however, both values were
within acceptable ranges for normality.
Additionally, a Shapiro-Wilk test was conducted to formally check whether the data
followed normal distribution. The test was non-significant, W = 0.96, p = .20, suggesting that
total CCAS scores did not significantly violate the assumption of normality. Normality is an
important assumption when conducting a linear regression, as violations can impact the accuracy
and reliability of the regression model (Llaudet & Imai, 2022). Given these results, the
assumption of normality was considered satisfied, allowing for reliable interpretation of a
regression analysis.

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Figure 1
Frequency Distribution of Total CCAS Scores

A linear regression was conducted to assess demographic predictors of climate anxiety,
as measured by the total CCAS score. Linear regression helps us understand the relationship
between one variable (in this case, total climate anxiety score) and several others (demographic
factors like age, gender, and race). Since there were no reverse scored items in the CCAS
implemented, a higher CCAS score represents a higher level of climate change anxiety. The
predictors included gender (coded as woman and non-binary, with man as the reference group),
age (coded as 18-24, and 25-34, with 35-44 as the reference category), race (coded as South
Asian, Latino, Indigenous, East Asian, Middle Eastern, with White as the reference group),
annual income (coded as $10,000-$30,000, $31,000-$50,000, $51,000-$70,000, prefer not to say,
with below $10,000 as the reference category), and program of study (coded as arts, social
sciences, education, business, health, with science as the reference category). Respondents who

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selected multiple race categories were excluded from the regression model due to perfect
collinearity.
The linear regression model was statistically significant, F(20, 14) = 3.60, p = 0.0088,
indicating that the predictors together accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in
total CCAS score. The adjusted R² value was 0.60, which suggests that approximately 60% of
the variability in CCAS scores was explained by the predictors.
The linear regression results (Table 2) can be interpreted primarily through the value of β
and p. A regression coefficient (often represented as β) indicates how much the dependent
variable (in this case, total climate anxiety score) changes when one of the predictor variables
(like gender, age, or race) changes by one unit. The p value indicates whether the result observed
in β is due to chance, or a statistically significant effect. P values that are statistically significant
are in bold in Table 2.
Table 1
Regression Coefficient for Predictors of Climate Anxiety
Predictor
Intercept
Gender (Ref: Man)
Woman
Non-Binary
Age Group (Ref: 35-44)
18-24
25-34
Race (Ref: White)
South Asian
Latino
Indigenous
East Asian
Middle Eastern
Annual Income (Ref: Below $10,000)
$10,000 - $30,000

Estimate
21.97

SE
5.31

t
4.14

p
0.001

11.01
14.04

3.42
5.98

3.22
2.35

0.006
0.034

-6.00
-13.25

3.80
3.84

-1.58
-3.45

0.163
0.004

-13.23
-11.46
-6.80
-4.24
-5.47

4.00
5.21
6.97
5.83
4.26

-3.30
-2.20
-0.98
-0.73
-1.29

0.005
0.045
0.346
0.478
0.219

3.26

3.30

0.99

0.339

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$31,000 - $50,000
$51,000 - $70,000
Prefer Not to Say
Program of Study (Ref: Science)
Arts
Social Sciences
Education
Business
Health

0.19
-3.14
-8.36

6.07
4.07
7.27

0.03
-0.77
-1.15

0.975
0.452
0.270

6.91
-0.75
8.01
2.67
8.42

6.26
3.20
4.74
5.61
7.28

1.10
-0.23
1.69
0.48
1.16

0.288
0.819
0.113
0.642
0.267

Gender was found to be a significant predictor of climate anxiety, with women (β =
11.01, p = 0.006) and non-binary individuals (β = 14.04, p = 0.034) experiencing higher climate
anxiety scores than men. The 25-34 age group reported significantly lower climate anxiety
compared to the 35-44 age group (β = -13.25, p = 0.0039). The 18-24 group shows a downward
trend but is not statistically significant.
For race predictors, a significant difference was only established between Latino and
South Asian respondents. Latino respondents reported significantly lower climate anxiety
compared to White respondents (β = -11.46, p = 0.045). South Asian respondents also reported a
significantly lower level of climate anxiety compared to White respondents (β = -13.25, p =
0.005). Income level and program of study were not found to be a significant predictor in climate
anxiety scores.

Qualitative Interviews
The qualitative portion of the study examined the perceptions of climate change among
participants (N = 5) and how these perceptions shaped their plans for the future, specifically
regarding four dimensions: career, education, housing, and family planning (see Appendix E for

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interview guide). Analysis of the interview transcripts through grounded theory revealed 3
themes, and 2 subthemes (Table 2).
Table 2
Themes and Subthemes
Theme

Subtheme

Individualization of Climate Responsibility

Colonialism and Climate (in)Justice

“Do I really want to bring them into this?”
I don’t know what to plan for

Anticipatory Grief

Theme 1: Individualization of Climate Responsibility
“I recycle, I shop at the thrift store, make my own clothes. Like, to some degree, there's only so much I feel like I can
do with the current amount of money that I have.” Anna, 25.1

Many participants expressed a deep sense of personal responsibility for addressing the
climate crisis, often focusing on individual actions such as composting, recycling, and buying
second-hand. Despite recognizing that systemic issues, particularly corporate greed, are the
primary drivers of climate change, participants still felt compelled to make personal changes,
frequently without engaging in collective or activist efforts. This resulted in a sense of isolation
and added pressure in their daily lives.
The narrative of individual responsibility was shaped in part by campaigns like British
Petroleum's (BP) promotion of the "carbon footprint," which effectively shifted blame from Big
Oil to ordinary people and their personal emissions (Kaufman, 2020). Participants described
feeling the weight of their "climate shadow", a heightened awareness of their consumption,

1

Participants’ names have been changed to protect their identities.

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actions, and attention to the crisis. Many shared feelings of guilt, overwhelm, or helplessness,
with some expressing a desire to live more sustainably but feeling emotionally or financially
unable to do so. Anna shared that she feels compelled to live more sustainably, “but there's only
so much I feel like I can do with the current amount of money that I have.” Sustainable
alternatives to fossil fuel consumption such as purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) or installing
solar panels are not a realistic solution for low-income households, creating barriers to a
sustainable lifestyle.
Although participants acknowledged that corporations are driving the crisis, they did not
name specific companies. As Nicole bleakly stated, “I also know there's a lot of corporate greed
and companies that prioritize making money. And I think that will always come first.” This
absence reflects the scale and invisibility of the systems involved, which seem too large to
challenge. As a result, the responsibility continues to fall disproportionately on individuals, who
are feeling the emotional burden of planetary responsibility.
Subtheme 1: Colonialism and Climate (In)Justice
“They care so much about indigenous knowledge and indigenous systems until it disrupts the status quo. And I don't
think that our system, our huge transnational system is ready to disrupt the status quo.” Lynn, 28.

This theme highlights the ways participants connected climate change to colonial
histories and expressed skepticism about the current system’s willingness to challenge the status
quo. Participants highlighted the intergenerational grief caused by colonialism's impact on both
the environment and its people, coupled with a pessimism about humanity's ability to move
beyond colonialism and capitalism to challenge existing structures, or create sustainable
alternatives. Lynn reflected on how conversations around climate change are gaining urgency,
not because of a moral reckoning or solidarity with those most affected, but because its

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consequences are beginning to touch the lives and assets of those in power. They pointed out that
the issue is becoming harder to ignore as climate disasters no longer remain confined to
historically marginalized communities but increasingly disrupt the lives of privileged populations
who have long been insulated from such harm (Otto, 2025). They stated, “[Climate change] has
been hugely impacting those who have power and those whose voices matter in the sense of the
world, and so that’s why I think it’s going to keep coming up for people, because the people who
have a voice in the world are now being impacted, and so they’re like, wow, we should put our
millions of dollars towards this so that we can keep our fucking California beach house and it
doesn’t get washed away by the oceans.”
Theme 2: “Do I really want to bring them into this?”
“One thing that also makes me consider whether or not I want to have kids is how would they be affected by the
future environment? Do I really want to bring them into this?” Emilie, 25.

Participants experience internal conflict and moral deliberation around the decision to
have children in the context of climate change. Participants express a sense of responsibility for
the world they might pass on, struggling with the ethics of bringing new life into a future marked
by environmental uncertainty and potential suffering. As Madison emotionally stated, “They'll
have to live through this. They'll have to live through this.” While some hold onto hope in
humanity’s capacity for innovation and adaptation, others express deep pessimism about
systemic inaction and ecological collapse. While discussing the systems that have historically
contributed to climate change such as capitalism and colonialism, participants like Lynn were
pessimistic about humanity’s ability to address the root causes of climate change. They stated
that “I don't think that adaptability will try to change anything or solve anything.”

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Participants display hope for humanity's ability to adapt in the face of climate change,
and some participants note the need for human ingenuity in the future instead of a pressing issue.
They believe that humanity will effectively adapt to a climate-changing world, but they're not
sure how. Madison shared a quote by Plato that captures her feelings towards human ingenuity,
she stated “Necessity is the mother of invention. So, someone will come up with something.” This
tension is often framed around fears that future children may not enjoy the stability or privilege
the participants themselves have known. Both Anna and Nicole discussed enjoying swimming in
the ocean where they grew up in coastal Vancouver, but now they think twice because of the
ever-present chemical tankers. Many describe a disconnection from older generations, who never
faced this specific moral burden when making reproductive choices.
Theme 3: I don’t know what to plan for
“I don't know. Everything is just so uncertain.” Anna, 25.

Participants shared that the uncertainty of the impacts of climate change significantly
affected their plans for the future, and their ability to make plans. Participants shared feelings of
hesitancy or paralysis, with a focus on short-term goals and survival over long-term plans. When
asked if their climate anxiety was motivating, Lynn stated “It is not a driving force ever.”
Participants cannot imagine what the world will look like in the future, therefore they are unable
to plan for it. Instead, they focus on what tomorrow looks like.
Subtheme 2: Anticipatory Grief
“I would love to live [on Bowen Island]. But every summer, as much as I want to live there, I do think about that in
the back of my head. What if I can't come back here one day?” Emilie, 25.

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Participants are mourning the loss of things that still exist, such as nature and their
hobbies and daily practices. They note the inevitability of losing certain things, and struggle to
see what the environment will look like altered by climate change. Anticipatory grief also
manifested in a loss of sense of safety, as Anna discussed a refusal to move back to Northern BC
out of fear of inevitable forest fires, “but I don't think I would ever go back and live up North
because of all of the fires.”

Survey Limitations
While the quantitative survey revealed statistically significant differences in climate
anxiety across gender, race, and age, the reliability and generalizability of these findings are
limited by the small sample size (N = 36) and uneven group distribution. For instance, although
women (β = 11.01, p = 0.006) and non-binary individuals (β = 14.04, p = 0.034) reported
significantly higher levels of climate anxiety compared to men, the gender breakdown was
skewed: only 5 participants identified as men, 3 as non-binary, and 28 as women. This skewed
distribution reduces the statistical power of the regression model and increase the likelihood that
significant effects may be driven by sampling variation rather than group differences. While
these findings align with existing literature suggesting that gender and identity-based factors
influence emotional responses to climate change, they should be interpreted cautiously and seen
as exploratory rather than conclusive (Wullenkord et a., 2021).
A similar pattern was observed when interpreting racial differences in climate anxiety.
Although South Asian participants (β = -13.25, p = 0.005) and Latino participants (β = -11.46, p
= 0.045) reported significantly lower levels of climate anxiety compared to white participants,
the small sample sizes within these groups limit the reliability of these results. Only 2
participants identified as South Asian and 3 as Latino, compared to 24 who identified as White.

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Age-related differences in climate anxiety were also observed, with participants aged 25–
34 reporting significantly lower levels of anxiety compared to those aged 35–44 (β = -13.25, p =
0.004). While this result contradicts existing literature, given that younger individuals are often
portrayed as most affected by climate-related distress, it is important to consider the distribution
of responses across age groups. Only 6 participants were in the 35–44 age category (used as the
reference group), while 7 were aged 25–34, and 23 fell within the 18–24 group. As with gender
and race, these age-related findings should be viewed as preliminary and exploratory, pointing to
potential trends that require further investigation with a larger and more evenly distributed
sample.

Discussion
Responsibility and Hope
This study sought to explore how climate anxiety influences undergraduate students’
perceptions and planning for the future. Using a mixed methods approach, both the prevalence
and demographic predictors of climate anxiety were assessed, alongside an in-depth qualitative
exploration of how these anxieties manifest across domains such as career, education, housing,
and family planning. Together, the findings offer a more nuanced understanding of how climate
anxiety intersects with identity and decision-making.
The qualitative findings emphasize the importance of context-rich, narrative-based
research in understanding the lived experience of climate anxiety. While large-scale quantitative
studies, such as Hickman et al. (2021), are essential for identifying prevalence, they miss the
emotionality behind the numbers. In this study, qualitative interviews revealed complex moral
tensions, such as anticipatory grief and uncertainty around family planning, that would have
remained obscured by survey data alone.

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One of the most prominent themes to emerge from the grounded theory analysis,
Individualization of Climate Responsibility, reflects participants’ deep internalization of blame
for their personal contributions to climate change. Many expressed a strong desire to live more
sustainably, through practices like recycling, composting, and reducing consumption, but also
acknowledged feeling powerless in the face of systemic barriers. Despite their efforts, they
struggled to reduce their most significant emissions due to structural limitations. As Nicole put it,
“Is it realistic for every person to own their own vehicle? Probably not. But if we had a better
transit system or something, that could be avoided.” Participants frequently described the
emotional weight of trying to solve a global crisis through individual action, what Renato
Redentor Constantino, former head of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, has aptly
compared to an ant trying to move an elephant (Constantino, 2023).
These feelings of futility and guilt are not accidental. Oil and gas companies, most
notably BP, have played a key role in shaping public discourse to emphasize individual
responsibility. In 2004, BP popularized the term “carbon footprint” as part of a marketing
strategy designed to shift attention away from corporate emissions and onto consumer behavior
(Kaufman, 2020). This rhetorical shift has allowed fossil fuel companies to appear supportive of
climate action while continuing to extract and emit at massive scales (Hartmann et al., 2022).
Specifically, through BP’s “carbon footprint” campaign, the company removed itself from the
fight towards climate action (Kaufman, 2020). This framing offers individual consumers a
seemingly tangible outlet for climate action, small tasks like composting and recycling become
strategies for coping with an otherwise overwhelming crisis. While these actions provide a sense
of agency, they also reinforce the belief that the burden of change lies with individuals rather

24

than systems (Cook, 2020). As a result, participants in this study expressed feelings of personal
failure and guilt in the face of a crisis that is largely outside their control.
Participants in this study recognize the contributions of capitalism and corporate greed to
anthropogenic climate change, yet no specific contributors were named. Corporations appeared
in participants transcripts as a faceless villain, with participants like Anna sharing “The
economy, all the systems, everything that could maybe prevent and limit climate change is all
run by (…) people who don't care that climate change is a thing, because they're gonna be dead
by the time it really matters (…) Or they just don't care, because they want money.”
Still, despite the overwhelming scale of systemic forces, participants expressed resilience
through a belief in human ingenuity and the potential for collective action. Madison shared her
coping mindset: “You can't live with just saying you're screwed. Like, you have to have the hope
that someone's going to do something.” While participants often struggled to articulate a
concrete vision for change, they held onto the idea that solutions, however uncertain, might still
emerge in the future. This quiet optimism, even in the absence of clear direction, reflects a
deeper refusal to give in to despair. As Renato Redentor Constantino reminds us, “sometimes the
ant's best defense against an elephant is firm resolve and a clever strategy.” (Constantino, 2023,
p. 79).
Uncertainty and Grief
The themes “Do I really want to bring them into this?”, I don’t know what to plan for,
and the subtheme Anticipatory Grief are all closely connected by participants’ uncertainty about
the future and skepticism toward humanity’s ability to address climate change in meaningful
ways. Participants struggled to make long-term plans, particularly around family formation,
housing, and career, because they could not clearly imagine what kind of world they would be

25

building those futures within. When Nicole was asked if and how she predicts climate change to
impact her long-term goals, her answer was: “Yes. I don't know how yet.” Lynn echoed this
sentiment, emphasizing that climate anxiety “is not a driving force ever,” suggesting a kind of
paralysis rather than motivation.
The subtheme Anticipatory Grief captures the participants mourning of things that still
exist, both tangible and intangible. Madison discussed her changing travel plans due to this
expected loss: “Because there's a lot of like little islands that I would have wanted to see since
childhood that we might have to hurry up and do.” Anna reflected on the gradual disappearance
of once-routine activities, an intangible loss, like swimming in Vancouver’s coastal waters, due
to growing environmental and health concerns.
In a study strikingly titled “One thousand ways to experience loss” Tschakert and
colleagues (2019) explore how losses related to climate damage impact people’s daily lives. This
includes both tangible losses such as property, and intangible losses such as culture and identity.
The authors state that simply feeling at risk, even if no actual harm happens, can weaken a
person’s sense of safety about the future. This can, in turn, reduce their ability to plan, prepare,
and protect themselves, potentially worsening their overall well-being (Tschakert et al., 2019). In
the context of this study, participants may have a difficulty planning for the future in the context
of climate change because they view their future safety as unstable. Madison’s loss of sense of
safety was captured in this statement: “Where deciding where me and my partner might settle
down in the future, thinking about like, places that will be affected by natural disasters, flooding,
overheating, like stuff like that is something that we've taken into a lot of consideration. (…) Also
trying to see which places we want to see before they go under.” Tschakert et al. (2019), building
on Potawatomi scholar Kyle Whyte’s (2016) work, advocate for the concept of collective

26

continuance, the idea that adaptation and healing must be rooted in relationality, memory, and
mutual responsibility. From this perspective, maintaining hope and coherence in the face of
climate distress is a shared process, not an individual burden. While the present study found that
participants often felt isolated or powerless, existing literature suggests that collective
approaches to knowledge-sharing and adaptation may help mediate the emotional toll and
physical losses of climate change (Kelsey, 2016; Whyte, 2016).

Conclusion
This study sought to understand how climate anxiety influences undergraduate students’
perceptions and plans for the future across four key domains: career, education, housing, and
family planning. Using a mixed-methods approach both the prevalence of climate anxiety among
students in British Columbia and the nuanced ways it shapes their decision-making was
explored.
The quantitative survey results indicate that climate anxiety is experienced unevenly
among the undergraduate sample. Statistically significant relationships revealed that women and
non-binary individuals reported significantly higher levels of climate anxiety compared to men,
while South Asian and Latino respondents reported significantly lower levels of climate anxiety
than white individuals. However, the small sample size (N=36) limits the reliability of these
findings. As such, these results should be considered exploratory, though they provide a
foundation for potential future research in this area.
Participants expressed feelings of powerlessness in the face of an overwhelming and
seemingly insurmountable task of combating climate change, making it difficult to plan for an
uncertain future. While climate anxiety represents a legitimate grief for what lies ahead, it also
highlights the urgent need for systemic change. This anxiety calls for a transformation of

27

inequities and the cultivation of collective hope, not as passive optimism, but as a resolute drive
to act and create a more sustainable and just future.

28

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Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of
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Introduction. Princeton University Press.
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32

Appendix A
Interview Consent Form

Facing the Future: A Climate Anxiety Study
Principal Investigator

Supervising Faculty

Everan Horwood
Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
Capilano University
everanhorwood@capilanou.ca

Sarah Yercich
Sociology and Criminology
Capilano University
sarahyercich@capilanou.ca

Study Purpose
I am a student in the Bachelor of Psychology Honours program at Capilano University. My research,
entitled “The Effects of Climate Anxiety on Future Planning,” aims to understand the prevalence of
climate anxiety in an undergraduate population and its effects on how individuals plan for the future. My
hope is that this research will contribute to a better understanding of climate anxiety and inform future
research and therapeutic techniques to help individuals who experience climate anxiety.
Description
I would like to ask if you would be willing to participate in an online or in-person interview. If you agree,
you will be asked questions regarding your personal experiences with climate anxiety and how it impacts
your plans for the future. The interview would be audio recorded. Your participation in the interview
would require approximately 1 hour of your time.
Risks and Risk Management
Depending on the information you provide, including if you choose to disclose your identity, there may
be a risk that the information you provide might cause loss of social status and/or embarrassment. To
mitigate this risk, your personal identity will not be revealed in any research products. Instead, your name
will be replaced with a pseudonym and directly identifiable information about you will be removed from
the final thesis and presentation materials. There is a low risk that you may experience emotional or
mental distress when discussing your personal opinions and experiences with climate anxiety and future
planning. Questions utilized in the interview purposefully use a neutral tone surrounding climate change
so as not to further evoke fear and anxiety. Information regarding mental health support services such as
hotlines and counselling services will be provided to you at the end of the interview. The interview will
be audio recorded, and transcribed into text, and you will be sent the transcription and given the
opportunity to make changes to/remove any responses you provided during the interview. The
transcription will be sent to your email approximately one month following the interview, and you will
have 2 weeks to make changes and email them back to the interviewer.
Storage of Your Information and Data
All data and information derived from the interview will be stored on the principal investigator’s
password-protected computer for 3 years. All the materials involved in the study including consent forms,
audio recordings, and transcripts will be destroyed 3 years after the study has ended (March 2028). The
transcription of the interview audio will be done using the program TurboScribe. TurboScribe ensures
that all files and transcripts are stored encrypted, guaranteeing user privacy and data security. The

33
encrypted data is stored on a server in the United States. If you wish to review more information on
Turboscibe’s privacy policies, they are listed here: https://turboscribe.ai/blog/security-and-privacy-faq
Use of Your Information
The results of this study will be presented in a thesis required for my (Everan’s) degree, and may also be
used for conference publications, presentations, and publications in academic journals.
Participation and Withdrawal
Your participation is completely voluntary. If you choose to withdraw from the study, all the information
you provided during the interview will be deleted and destroyed. If you want to review/make changes to
your interview transcript, you will have 2 weeks to do so once the principal investigator emails it to you.
You may skip any questions during the interview, with no explanation necessary. You may choose to
withdraw from the study without explanation or consequences up until the final submission of the written
thesis in March 2025. If you would like to withdraw from the study, email Everan
(everanhorwood@capilanou.ca).
Consent and Conditions of Consent
I have read and understand the information provided above, and hereby consent to participate in this
research under the following conditions:
I consent to the interview being audio recorded.
I consent to having my personal identity disguised using a
pseudonym
in the products of the research.
I consent to being quoted in the products of the research.

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Participant Name ________________________ Participant Signature ____________________________
Commitment of Principal Investigator
I, Everan Horwood, promise to adhere to the procedures described in this consent form.
Principal Investigator Signature __________________________ Date _______________
I would like to receive a copy of the results after the study has been completed:

Yes

No

If yes, please provide an email address where you would like the results to be sent to:
___________________________________
If you have any concerns about your treatment as a research participant in this study, please contact the
Capilano University Research Ethics Board at reb@capilanou.ca.

34

Appendix B
Survey Consent Form
Study Purpose
I am a student in the Bachelor of Psychology Honours program at Capilano University. My research,
entitled “Facing the Future: A Climate Anxiety Study” aims to understand the prevalence of climate
anxiety in an undergraduate population and its effects on how individuals plan for the future. My hope is
that this research will contribute to a better understanding of climate anxiety and inform future research
and therapeutic techniques to help individuals who experience climate anxiety.
Description
Thank you for your interest in participating in this study. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes
to complete and will ask you to respond on a scale to statements about your own experiences with climate
anxiety. Future planning will be investigated in a separate interview process, which you may volunteer to
participate in by providing your email at the end of the survey. Participation in the interview process is
optional, and not required for participation in this survey. If you are interested in participating in an
interview investigating future planning and climate anxiety more information will be provided at the end
of the survey, and you may provide your email address for the principal investigator to contact.
Alternatively, you may email the principal investigator at everanhorwood@capilanou.ca to arrange an
interview or request more information.
Participation and Withdrawal
Participation is completely voluntary. Participants can decline participation in this survey at any time by
exiting the webpage. There are no consequences of declining participation or not completing the survey.
Survey responses will only be collected when participants click ‘submit’ at the end of the survey, and
participants will be given the opportunity to review their responses. Once the survey is completed,
participant responses cannot be removed or edited as it is anonymous. Withdrawing after the survey is
submitted is not possible.
Risks and Risk Management
There are minimal foreseeable risks associated with participating in this study. Due to the study's nature,
psychological distress may present as the survey questions provoke self-reflection on experiences of
anxiety and discomfort related to climate change. If you require additional support after the study, I
recommend visiting helpguide.org/find-help to find mental health support accessible in your country.
Your Information
Confidentiality will be provided by ensuring no personal identifiers are stored with the data you submit. If
you choose to submit your email to participate in the interview portion of the study, your email address
will not be associated with your survey responses, ensuring anonymity. Your email address will only be
accessible to the principal investigator and stored on a password-protected laptop. A Capilano University
Qualtrics account will be used to collect your survey responses. Survey data will be stored on Qualtrics'
servers, which are located in Canada. The results of this study will be presented in a thesis required for
my (Everan’s) degree, and may also be used for conference publications, presentations, and publications
in academic journals. All survey data will be deleted 3 years after the study's completion (March 2028).
Contact Information
If you would like to learn more about the results, would like to participate in the interview portion of the
study, or if you have any questions, please contact Everan Horwood at (everanhorwood@capilanou.ca) or
her supervisor, Dr. Sarah Yercich at (sarahyercich@capilanou.ca).

35
You may screenshot the study information/consent form now if you wish to keep it for your records.
Alternatively, a copy of this study information/consent can be requested via e-mail
(everanhorwood@capilanou.ca).
If you have any concerns about your treatment as a research participant in this study, please contact the
Capilano University Research Ethics Board at reb@capilanou.ca.

36

Appendix C
Survey Instrument
1. I am...
o Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program
o Recently graduated from an undergraduate program (within 1 year)
o Not enrolled in an undergraduate program
i.
If participants select the last option, they are not eligible to participate and will be sent to the end
of the survey.
2. I am over the age of 19
o Yes
o No
i.
If participants select the last option, they are not eligible to participate and will be sent to the end
of the survey.
Demographics
Gender: How do you identify?
o Man
o Woman
o Non-binary/non-conforming
o Transgender
o Other: please specify__________
o Prefer not to say
What is your age?
o 19-24
o 25-34
o 35-44
o 45-54
o Over 55
o Prefer not to say
How do you identify your race? Please select all that apply.
o White (European descent)
o Black (African, Afro-Caribbean descent)
o Indigenous (Inuit, Métis and First Nations)
o South East Asian (Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai etc.)
o East Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese etc.)
o South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan etc.)
o Latino (Latin American, Hispanic descent)
o Middle Eastern (Arab, Persian, Egyptian, Iranian etc.)
o Other: please specify__________
o Prefer not to say
What is your total annual income?
o Below $10,000
o $10,000 - $30,000
o $31,000 - $50,000
o $51,000 - $70,000

37
o
o
o

$71,000 - $100,000
$100,000 +
Prefer not to say

What is your program of study?
o Social Sciences (sociology, criminology, psychology etc.)
o Business
o Science (chemistry, biology, engineering etc.)
o Arts (fine arts, music, performance art, acting, etc.)
o Health (nursing, dentistry etc.)
o Other: please specify__________
o Prefer not to say
Please rate how often the following statements are true of you.
1
2
3
4
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often

5
Almost Always

1. Thinking about climate change makes it difficult for me to concentrate.
2. Thinking about climate change makes it difficult for me to sleep.
3. I have nightmares about climate change
4. I find myself crying because of climate change
5. I think, “why can't I handle climate change better?”
6. I go away by myself and think about why I feel this way about climate change
7. I write down my thoughts about climate change and analyze them
8. I think, “why do I react to climate change this way?”
9. My concerns about climate change make it hard for me to have fun with my family or friends.
10. I have problems balancing my concerns about sustainability with the needs of my family.
11. My concerns about climate change interfere with my ability to get work or school assignments
done.
12. My concerns about climate change undermine my ability to work to my potential.
13. My friends say I think about climate change too much.
End of Survey Message
Thank you for your responses. If you would like to review your responses, please do so now. After
clicking "next page" you will no longer be able to make changes to/remove your responses.
[the survey will then automatically direct to the link provided below]
i.
The use of a second survey ensures that participants’ responses will not be associated with their
email addresses if they choose to provide one.
“If you are interested in participating in a 1 hour-long interview investigating your personal experiences
with climate anxiety and planning for the future, please provide your email address below. Everan will
contact you with more information and the opportunity to schedule an interview. Providing your email is
completely optional, and if you do not wish to volunteer this information, simply click "next page" and
your responses will be recorded.
If you choose to provide an email address, it will not be associated with responses ensuring they are kept
anonymous.”

38

Appendix D
Recruitment Poster

39

Appendix E
Interview Guide
Introduction
Hi, my name is Everan. Thank you for agreeing to participate in this research interview about climate
anxiety and future planning. This interview is being conducted as a part of my honours thesis at Capilano
University. The research supervisor is Dr. Sarah Yercich.
At the end of the interview, you will be asked to share the recruitment poster will individuals you feel will
be suitable and interested to participate in this study. Sharing the recruitment poster is completely
voluntary and will not affect your position in the study.
Consent Form Review
[provide the individual with consent form]
If you have not had a chance to review the consent form sent to your email, please do so now.
•
•

Do you have any questions regarding the study information/consent form?
Do I have your permission to begin audio recording and begin the interview?

Demographics
I am now going to ask you some demographic questions that will help me understand a bit more about
you. These questions I am about to ask you are for background purposes only and will not be reported
with your identity in any products of the research. I will follow your level of anonymity choice regarding
what information you choose to share/not share.
You can choose not to answer any question that makes you feel uncomfortable.
•

What ethnic/cultural group(s) do you identify with?

•

What is your age?

• What gender do you identify with?
What pronouns do you use?
•
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Which geographic area do you live?
Burnaby
Vancouver
Richmond
Surrey
Langley
North Vancouver
West Vancouver
Vancouver Island
Abbotsford/Chilliwack
Northern BC
Eastern BC

•

What is your program of study?

40

•

What is your total annual income?

[Interview Begins]
I would like to hear about your thoughts surrounding climate change and your visions of the future. I will
now ask you some open-ended questions, feel free to respond with as little or as much detail as you would
like. If you would like to skip a question, please do not hesitate to say so, and we will move on.
1. How do you envision your personal future, particularly in 10, 20, or 30 years?
• Has climate change influenced your vision of your future?
2. Has concern over climate change affected your long-term plans, such as career choices, housing
location, or family planning?
• In what specific ways?
3. How do you approach major life decisions (e.g., buying a house, starting a family, changing
careers, pursuing higher education) in the context of climate change?
• Has your approach shifted over time due to climate change?
4. Do you believe climate anxiety affects your decision making in the long run?
• Would you consider this a positive or negative influence?
5. How optimistic (or pessimistic) are you about humanities ability to effectively address climate
change?
• How does this perspective impact your own long-term planning?
6. Has your concern about climate change influenced your career path or educational choices?
• How did climate anxiety play a role in your decision-making?
7. Do you feel climate change will impact the field you work in or aspire to work in?
• Has this influenced your long-term career plans?
8. Has climate change anxiety influenced where you plan to live in the future (e.g., choosing
locations with less risk of natural disasters)?
9. Has climate anxiety impacted your views on having children or expanding your family?
10. Do you consider how climate change might affect your children or future generations when
making long-term decisions?
11. Do you anticipate needing to adjust your long-term goals to account for climate-related changes?
• How do you plan to adapt if these changes occur?
12. Do you anticipate that climate change will impact your health or well-being in the future, and has
this influenced your long-term planning?
• Have you made any changes in health-related behaviors (e.g., lifestyle choices, mental health
care) because of these concerns?
[End of Interview]

41
We are now at the end of the interview. Thank you for your time today. I will send a copy of the interview
transcript to your email within 3 weeks, and you will have 2 weeks to confirm or make changes to the
information you provided.
[provide the individual with debriefing materials]
If this interview left you feeling uneasy or distressed, I recommend you connect with the support provided
on this sheet