Climate Anxiety in a Young Population at Risk of Suicide

Sponsor
Centre Hospitalier Esquirol
Study ID
NCT07305688
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

  • Anxiety
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Mental Health Issue
  • Suicidal Ideation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
16 Years - 24 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale — OTHER
    Standardized tool for evaluating suicidal ideation and behavior. Measures severity and intensity of suicidal thoughts and actions.
  • Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version — OTHER
    22-item self-report questionnaire assessing cognitive, emotional, functional, and pro-environmental dimensions of climate change-related anxiety.
  • State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, French version — OTHER
    40-item self-report inventory measuring both state and trait anxiety levels.
  • Socio demographic profil — OTHER
    Collects demographic and background variables such as age, gender, education level and living conditions.

Study Details

Climate change has become a major source of concern, particularly among younger generations who are facing the progressive degradation of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and alarming environmental information disseminated through the media. The direct perception of climate-related disruptions has been shown to engender a profound sense of helplessness and loss. This distress, termed eco-anxiety, is characterised by feelings of fear, sadness and guilt regarding the planet's future. In a context where there has been a marked increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts among young people over the past decade, it is essential to explore the psychological manifestations of eco-anxiety within this vulnerable population. The paucity of studies investigating this association underscores the significance of the present research. The aims of this study is to examine the relationship between climate anxiety and suicidal risk among young people aged 16 to 24 years. The study will encompass 108 young participants aged between 16 and 24 years, who are either hospitalised or receiving outpatient psychiatric care. Each participant will be required to complete one clinician-administered assessment, namely the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and two self-report questionnaires: the Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version (CCAS-FR) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y). Furthermore, a sociodemographic questionnaire will be administered in order to collect information regarding the subjects' age, sex, education level, living conditions, and psychiatric history. It is hypothesised that there is a positive association between climate anxiety and suicidal risk, with the most eco-anxious participants showing higher C-SSRS scores. It is further predicted that eco-anxiety will correlate with elevated levels of state and trait anxiety, with the potential for modulating this relationship by sociodemographic factors, including gender. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the psychological impacts of climate change on young people and help identify the most vulnerable profiles.

Key Dates

First listed
Dec 26, 2025
Start date
Dec 15, 2025
Status verified
Jun 2026
Primary completion
Mar 15, 2027
Completion
Mar 15, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
108 participants (estimated)

Arms

  • Arm: Young Population at Suicide Risk
    Adolescents and young adults aged 16-24 years, recruited from emergency, inpatient, and outpatient psychiatry units at Esquirol Hospital Center (France). Participants complete standardized questionnaires assessing climate change anxiety (CCAS-FR), suicidal ideation and behavior (C-SSRS), and general anxiety (STAI-C or STAI-Y).

Primary Outcome Measure

Climate Change Anxiety Score [ Time Frame: 10 min ]

Central Contacts

Related Studies