{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:17:17Z","timestamp":1792084637815,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,25]],"date-time":"2026-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782345600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"university Laudato Si Research Collaborative and Faculty Development Funds"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The purpose of this study is to examine positive and negative emotions about climate change reported by youth living in northern California and explore how these emotions are linked to climate anxiety, activism, and other measures of well-being. We surveyed ethnically diverse first- and second-year students (N = 521, mean age = 19) at a Jesuit, urban university in California in Fall 2022. Survey measures assessed climate-related emotions, eco-anxiety, and eco-impairment, along with activism, optimism, and compassion. Bivariate and multivariate models examined positive and negative eco-emotions, controlling for race, gender, and income. Overall, climate anxiety was linked to greater activism and confidence that actions matter. However, experiencing positive climate-related emotions had a stronger relationship to activism and optimism for the present and future, compared to negative emotions which were linked to higher eco-anxiety and greater compassion for others. Climate education and communication should consider inducing and reinforcing positive emotions to encourage youth activism, especially since negative emotions in response to climate change are linked to worse mental health. More research on a range of climate emotions is needed, and future interventions should test how to induce hope without minimizing the seriousness of climate change to support confidence and youth action.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23070834","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T08:43:57Z","timestamp":1782463437000},"page":"834","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Hope and Fear: A Survey of Eco-Emotions and Climate Anxiety, Activism, and Well-Being Among Older Adolescents in Northern California"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1555-0315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kelly L.","family":"L\u2019Engle","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julianna","family":"Sahoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-1103-3641","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gwendolyn M. Hoff","family":"Anderson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elise","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA"},{"name":"School of Health Sciences and Wellness, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-4635-0116","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lexi","family":"Nutkiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA"},{"name":"Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado at Anschutz, Aurora, CO 80045, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"United Nations Children\u2019s Fund (2023). The Climate-Changed Child: A Children\u2019s Climate Risk Index Supplement, UNICEF."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e879","DOI":"10.1016\/S2542-5196(24)00229-8","article-title":"Climate Emotions, Thoughts, and Plans among US Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Survey and Analysis by Political Party Identification and Self-Reported Exposure to Severe Weather Events","volume":"8","author":"Lewandowski","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet Planet. Health"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"353","article-title":"Encouraging Youth Activism to Combat Climate Change and Reduce Eco-Anxiety","volume":"15","author":"Nutkiewicz","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. Public Health J."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102263","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2020.102263","article-title":"Climate Anxiety: Psychological Responses to Climate Change","volume":"74","author":"Clayton","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Anxiety Disord."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mosca, A., Luciani, D., Chiappini, S., Miuli, A., PsyClimate Research Group, Cianconi, P., Pettorruso, M., Janiri, L., and Martinotti, G. (2025). Eco-Anxiety and Mental Health: Correlates of Climate Change Distress. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22121768"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Batra, M., and Erbas, B. (2025). Extreme Weather, Vulnerable Populations, and Mental Health: The Timely Role of AI Interventions. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22040602"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anai.2024.04.018","article-title":"Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities","volume":"133","author":"Leap","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"678","DOI":"10.1542\/pir.2024-006712","article-title":"Impact of the Climate Crisis on Childhood Health","volume":"46","author":"Henning","year":"2025","journal-title":"Pediatr. Rev."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"04061","DOI":"10.7189\/jogh.14.04061","article-title":"Climate Change Impacts on Child and Adolescent Health and Well-Being: A Narrative Review","volume":"14","author":"Proulx","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16708","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-022-02735-6","article-title":"Climate Change Anxiety and Mental Health: Environmental Activism as Buffer","volume":"42","author":"Schwartz","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1186\/s13034-025-00872-x","article-title":"Climate Change Hopefulness, Anxiety, and Behavioral Intentions among Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief \u201cSelfie\u201d Video Intervention","volume":"19","author":"Benoit","year":"2025","journal-title":"Child Adolesc. Psychiatry Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-024-07150-7","article-title":"Climate Anxiety Mediates Environmental Concern and Climate Action among Filipino Youth: Does Mitigation Response Efficacy Belief Matter?","volume":"44","author":"Aruta","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1089\/env.2019.0034","article-title":"Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Children\u2019s Mental Health: A Generation at Risk?","volume":"13","author":"Chalupka","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ. Justice"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101887","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvp.2022.101887","article-title":"Climate Anxiety, Wellbeing and pro-Environmental Action: Correlates of Negative Emotional Responses to Climate Change in 32 Countries","volume":"84","author":"Ogunbode","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Environ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e863","DOI":"10.1016\/S2542-5196(21)00278-3","article-title":"Climate Anxiety in Children and Young People and Their Beliefs about Government Responses to Climate Change: A Global Survey","volume":"5","author":"Hickman","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Planet. Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102391","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloenvcha.2021.102391","article-title":"The Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Scale","volume":"71","author":"Hogg","year":"2021","journal-title":"Glob. Environ. Change"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1098","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2025.02.019","article-title":"Climate Change Stress Among Adolescents In California: Associations with Psychological Distress, Suicide Ideation, and Social and Demographic Factors","volume":"76","author":"Hindmarch","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Adolesc. Health"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2023.11.323","article-title":"124. Rural vs. Urban Differences in Climate Change Anxiety and the Role of CIVIC Engagement Among California Adolescents","volume":"74","author":"Le","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Adolesc. Health"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Carman, J., Neyens, L., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., Campbell, E., and Lacroix, K. (2022). Climate Change in the American Mind, April 2022, George Mason University."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1007\/s10584-006-9060-3","article-title":"Experience-Based and Description-Based Perceptions of Long-Term Risk: Why Global Warming Does Not Scare Us (Yet)","volume":"77","author":"Weber","year":"2006","journal-title":"Clim. Change"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e854","DOI":"10.1016\/S2542-5196(21)00318-1","article-title":"Climate Emotions: It Is Ok to Feel the Way You Do","volume":"5","author":"Duggan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Planet. Health"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cobeha.2021.04.009","article-title":"Positive Emotions and Climate Change","volume":"42","author":"Schneider","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1177\/07435584211006789","article-title":"The Mental Health Effects of Student Activism: Persisting Despite Psychological Costs","volume":"38","author":"Conner","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Adolesc. Res."},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"136","article-title":"Effect of Hope on Resilience in Adolescents: Social Support and Social Connectedness as Mediators","volume":"5","author":"Cicek","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Posit. Sch. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1192\/bjb.2021.16","article-title":"Children and Youth in the Climate Crisis","volume":"45","author":"Sanson","year":"2021","journal-title":"BJPsych Bull."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"(2025, July 29). California Department of Public Health, Available online: https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CFH\/DMCAH\/surveillance."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Stevens, J. (1992). Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1539-6924.2008.01010.x","article-title":"Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes Toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the United States","volume":"28","author":"Kellstedt","year":"2008","journal-title":"Risk Anal."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Overbury, K. (2022). Research Portfolio Submitted in Part Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Bath]."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1093\/jpepsy\/22.3.399","article-title":"The Development and Validation of the Children\u2019s Hope Scale","volume":"22","author":"Snyder","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1080\/17439760500510833","article-title":"Positive Emotion Dispositions Differentially Associated with Big Five Personality and Attachment Style","volume":"1","author":"Shiota","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Posit. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16966","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-025-08270-4","article-title":"Measuring Planetary Eco-Emotions: A Systematic Review of Currently Available Instruments and Their Psychometric Properties","volume":"44","author":"Hakim","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Neas, S., Ward, A., and Bowman, B. (2022). Young People\u2019s Climate Activism: A Review of the Literature. Front. Polit. Sci., 4.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpos.2022.940876"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100146","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joclim.2022.100146","article-title":"What Predicts Climate Change Activism?: An Examination of How Depressive Symptoms, Climate Change Distress, and Social Norms Are Associated with Climate Change Activism","volume":"8","author":"Latkin","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Clim. Change Health"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1062","DOI":"10.1007\/s11031-023-10038-x","article-title":"Eco-Anxiety Motivates pro-Environmental Behaviors: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study","volume":"47","author":"Pavani","year":"2023","journal-title":"Motiv. Emot."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1080\/00139157.2019.1589300","article-title":"Climate Change in the American Mind: Data, Tools, and Trends","volume":"61","author":"Ballew","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Policy Sustain. Dev."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102822","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2023.102822","article-title":"When Eco-Anger (but Not Eco-Anxiety nor Eco-Sadness) Makes You Change! A Temporal Network Approach to the Emotional Experience of Climate Change","volume":"102","author":"Contreras","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Anxiety Disord."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1509\/jppm.16.132","article-title":"The Chill of the Moment: Emotions and Proenvironmental Behavior","volume":"36","author":"Schwartz","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Public Policy Mark."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Innocenti, M., Santarelli, G., Lombardi, G.S., Ciabini, L., Zjalic, D., Di Russo, M., and Cadeddu, C. (2023). How Can Climate Change Anxiety Induce Both Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Eco-Paralysis? The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20043085"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100003","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joclim.2021.100003","article-title":"From Anger to Action: Differential Impacts of Eco-Anxiety, Eco-Depression, and Eco-Anger on Climate Action and Wellbeing","volume":"1","author":"Stanley","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Clim. Change Health"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"969","DOI":"10.1080\/17524032.2021.1934056","article-title":"Motivating Children to Become Green Kids: The Role of Victim Framing, Moral Emotions, and Responsibility on Children\u2019s Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intent","volume":"15","author":"Pearce","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ. Commun."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1177\/109019810002700506","article-title":"A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeals: Implications for Effective Public Health Campaigns","volume":"27","author":"Witte","year":"2000","journal-title":"Health Educ. Behav."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvp.2012.02.004","article-title":"How Do Children Cope with Global Climate Change? Coping Strategies, Engagement, and Well-Being","volume":"32","author":"Ojala","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Environ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ojala, M., and Lakew, Y. (2017). Young People and Climate Change Communication. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/acrefore\/9780190228620.013.408"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1007","DOI":"10.1007\/s10584-020-02923-y","article-title":"Eco-Reproductive Concerns in the Age of Climate Change","volume":"163","author":"Leong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clim. Change"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1111\/jomf.12885","article-title":"Environmental Attitudes and Fertility Desires among US Adolescents from 2005\u20132019","volume":"85","author":"Rackin","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1080\/00797308.2023.2287381","article-title":"Eco-Anxiety in Children and Young People\u2014A Rational Response, Irreconcilable Despair, or Both?","volume":"77","author":"Hickman","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychoanal. Study Child"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4883","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-025-07519-2","article-title":"Psychometric Assessment of Climate-Related Emotional Responses: A Systematic Review of Measures for Eco-Anxiety and Related Constructs","volume":"44","author":"Owczarek","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25836","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-024-06263-3","article-title":"Psychological Dimensions Associated with Youth Engagement in Climate Change Issues: A Person-Centered Approach","volume":"43","author":"Geraci","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/23\/7\/834\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T10:04:58Z","timestamp":1782813898000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/23\/7\/834"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,25]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph23070834"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph23070834","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,25]]}}}