Climate Change Worry, Eco-Anxiety, Quality of Life, and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Türkiye.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined associations among climate change worry, eco-anxiety, quality of life, and life satisfaction among older adults in Türkiye, including statistical indirect associations of worry with these outcomes involving eco-anxiety.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 426 adults aged ≥ 60 years (including 71 residents of institutional care settings) completed validated Turkish measures. Analyses included correlations, hierarchical regression, and covariate-adjusted structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Climate change worry was positively associated with eco-anxiety (β = .536), which was negatively associated with quality of life (β = -.243) and life satisfaction (β = -.264). Worry showed positive direct associations with quality of life (β = .228) and life satisfaction (β = .226), alongside negative statistical indirect associations involving eco-anxiety. Higher education was associated with higher life satisfaction, and poorer economic circumstances with lower quality of life and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Climate change worry showed opposing associations with well-being: positive direct associations coexisted with negative statistical indirect associations involving eco-anxiety, underscoring the importance of distinguishing climate-related worry from more distressing anxiety-related responses.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Gerontological interventions may benefit from supporting constructive engagement with climate-related concerns while addressing distressing eco-anxiety and considering socioeconomic differences in well-being.