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Heinzel S, Tschorn M, Schulte-Hutner M, Schäfer F, Reese G, Pohle C, Peter F, Neuber M, Liu S, Keller J, Eichinger M, Bechtoldt M. Anxiety in response to the climate and environmental crises: validation of the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale in Germany. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1239425. [PMID: 37809319 PMCID: PMC10552256 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1239425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background 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 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 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 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Heinzel
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mira Tschorn
- Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Schäfer
- Sustainable Development, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt, Germany
- Klimabildung e.V., Bochum, Germany
| | - Gerhard Reese
- Department of Psychology, RPTU Kaiserslautern Landau, Campus Landau, Landau, Germany
| | | | - Felix Peter
- Department of School Psychology, State School Administration of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Michael Neuber
- Center for Technology and Society, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Shuyan Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (CCM), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Keller
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Eichinger
- Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Myriam Bechtoldt
- Department of Management, EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, Oestrich-Winkel, Germany
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