Anxiety in response to the climate and environmental crises: validation of the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale in Germany.
Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale
climate anxiety
climate change
climate crisis
eco-anxiety
environmental crisis
Journal
Frontiers in psychology
ISSN: 1664-1078
Titre abrégé: Front Psychol
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101550902
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2023
2023
Historique:
received:
14
06
2023
accepted:
04
09
2023
medline:
9
10
2023
pubmed:
9
10
2023
entrez:
9
10
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
As the climate and environmental crises unfold, eco-anxiety, defined as anxiety about the crises' devastating consequences for life on earth, affects mental health worldwide. Despite its importance, research on eco-anxiety is currently limited by a lack of validated assessment instruments available in different languages. Recently, Hogg and colleagues proposed a multidimensional approach to assess eco-anxiety. Here, we aim to translate the original English Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) into German and to assess its reliability and validity in a German sample. Following the TRAPD (translation, review, adjudication, pre-test, documentation) approach, we translated the original English scale into German. In total, 486 participants completed the German HEAS. We used Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess whether the four-factorial model of the original English version could be replicated in the German sample. Furthermore, associations with a variety of emotional reactions towards the climate crisis, general depression, anxiety, and stress were investigated. The German HEAS was internally consistent (Cronbach's alphas 0.71-0.86) and the Bayesian CFA showed that model fit was best for the four-factorial model, comparable to the factorial structure of the original English scale (affective symptoms, rumination, behavioral symptoms, anxiety about personal impact). Weak to moderate associations were found with negative emotional reactions towards the climate crisis and with general depression, anxiety, and stress. Our results support the original four-factorial model of the scale and indicate that the German HEAS is a reliable and valid scale to assess eco-anxiety in German speaking populations.
Sections du résumé
Background
UNASSIGNED
As the climate and environmental crises unfold, eco-anxiety, defined as anxiety about the crises' devastating consequences for life on earth, affects mental health worldwide. Despite its importance, research on eco-anxiety is currently limited by a lack of validated assessment instruments available in different languages. Recently, Hogg and colleagues proposed a multidimensional approach to assess eco-anxiety. Here, we aim to translate the original English Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) into German and to assess its reliability and validity in a German sample.
Methods
UNASSIGNED
Following the TRAPD (translation, review, adjudication, pre-test, documentation) approach, we translated the original English scale into German. In total, 486 participants completed the German HEAS. We used Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess whether the four-factorial model of the original English version could be replicated in the German sample. Furthermore, associations with a variety of emotional reactions towards the climate crisis, general depression, anxiety, and stress were investigated.
Results
UNASSIGNED
The German HEAS was internally consistent (Cronbach's alphas 0.71-0.86) and the Bayesian CFA showed that model fit was best for the four-factorial model, comparable to the factorial structure of the original English scale (affective symptoms, rumination, behavioral symptoms, anxiety about personal impact). Weak to moderate associations were found with negative emotional reactions towards the climate crisis and with general depression, anxiety, and stress.
Discussion
UNASSIGNED
Our results support the original four-factorial model of the scale and indicate that the German HEAS is a reliable and valid scale to assess eco-anxiety in German speaking populations.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37809319
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1239425
pmc: PMC10552256
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
1239425Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Heinzel, Tschorn, Schulte-Hutner, Schäfer, Reese, Pohle, Peter, Neuber, Liu, Keller, Eichinger and Bechtoldt.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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