Mejia, Christian R. and Alvarez-Risco, Aldo and Cedillo-Balcázar, Jamil and Serna-Alarcón, Víctor and Armada, Jose and Paucar, Medally C. and Requena-Pastorelli, Tatiana and Del-Aguila-Arcentales, Shyla and Davies, Neal M. and Yáñez, Jaime A. UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, UNSPECIFIED, jaime.yanez@unini.edu.mx (2026) Eco-Anxiety in Latin American Citizens: Description and Factors Associated With Concern About Climate Change. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. ISSN 0020-7640
Abstract
Background: Climate change is an undeniable reality that is increasingly discussed globally. While eco-anxiety has been extensively studied in Europe and other developed countries, there is a lack of data from Latin America. Aims: To identify and describe the factors associated with eco-anxiety in Latin America. Method: A cross-sectional, multicenter study used a validated scale to measure eco-anxiety, adjusted for sex, age, education level, and country of residence. Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to interpret the data. Among 3,320 participants, a significant portion expressed eco-anxiety, particularly when it was mentioned to affect an important place, interfere with concentration, disrupt work or studies, or cause difficulty sleeping (12%, 5%, 3%, and 3% strongly agreed with these statements, respectively). Results: Multivariate analysis revealed higher scores of eco-anxiety in Argentina (aRP: 2.06; 95% CI [1.45, 2.94]; p < 0.001), Colombia (aRP: 1.66; 95% CI [1.21, 2.29]; p = 0.002), and Ecuador (aRP: 1.40; 95% CI [1.01, 1.94]; p = 0.042). Conversely, eco-anxiety was lower among men (aRP: 0.88; 95% CI [0.81, 0.96]; p = 0.003) and those with postgraduate education (aRP: 0.72; 95% CI [0.59, 0.88]; p = 0.001), after adjusting for age. Conclusions: This is the first large-scale study to report significant eco-anxiety in Latin America, which is linked to factors such as country of residence, sex, and educational level.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Subjects > Psychology |
| Divisions: | Ibero-american International University > Research > Articles and books |
| Depositing User: | Sr Bibliotecario |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Sep 2026 09:43 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Sep 2026 09:43 |
| URI: | https://repositorio.funiber.org/id/eprint/29660 |
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