Current World Environment

Eco-Anxiety and Its Behavioral Manifestations: A Systematic Scoping Review

Abhinav Atri ^* and Supriya Srivastava

¹ School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research Studies, Faridabad, Haryana India

Corresponding author Email: abhinavatri30@gmail.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.21.1.7

Abstract

Climate change and ecological degradation are increasingly associated with fear, helplessness, and sorrow, contributing to psychological distress and behavioral change. This narrative review synthesizes empirical research examining eco-anxiety and its associated behavioral responses. A total of 212 records were identified through searches of Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and Science Direct, with 50 articles meeting inclusion criteria following independent screening and data extraction by two reviewers. The methodological quality of included studies was generally limited, and findings were synthesized using conventional content analysis, resulting in two primary themes with three subthemes each. Evidence indicates that eco-anxiety is linked to both adaptive and maladaptive behavioral responses, including pro-environmental engagement, anger, depressive symptoms, and shifts in life decisions such as hesitancy toward family planning. Given the predominance of cross-sectional and self-report designs, conclusions should be interpreted cautiously; nonetheless, the literature suggests that eco-anxiety meaningfully shapes behavioral responses, albeit in heterogeneous ways across individuals.

Keywords

Behavioral Responses; Climate change; Eco anxiety; Ecological; Psychological

Copy the following to cite this article:

Atri A, Srivastava S. Eco-Anxiety and Its Behavioral Manifestations: A Systematic Scoping Review. Curr World Environ 2026;21(1). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.21.1.7

Copy the following to cite this URL:

Atri A, Srivastava S. Eco-Anxiety and Its Behavioral Manifestations: A Systematic Scoping Review. Curr World Environ 2026;21(1).

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