Nature Relatedness May Play a Protective Role and Contribute to Eco-Distress
Crystal Smith, Andrew Allen, Vikki Schaffer, Lee Kannis‐Dymand
Abstract
Climate change and environmental degradation are critical health challenges facing society, with eco-distress increasingly and more widely reported. Previous research indicates that nature relatedness (NR) may be implicated in eco-distress. The current cross-sectional, online study expands research on eco-distress. It was hypothesized that different types of NR would lead to different manifestations of eco-distress. Participants ( N = 415) completed measures of NR (nature relatedness scale, pro-environmental self-identity scale, and connectedness to nature scale) and measures of eco-distress (climate change anxiety scale, solastalgia subscale of the environmental distress scale, and climate change worry scale). Results indicated that NR-perspective, pro-environmental self-identity, and connectedness to nature may influence the occurrence of eco-distress, whereas NR-self may be protective against eco-distress. Solastalgia accounted for 29% of the variance in eco-distress, suggesting that solastalgia, not climate change anxiety was the dominant emotional response implicated in eco-distress for those with high NR. Further research is required to develop robust measures of eco-distress and determine the reciprocal nature of eco-distress to environmental degradation and the bearing this has on individual, community, and global actions to advance nature and human wellbeing.