The moderating effect of religiosity between climate change anxiety and death anxiety among a sample of Lebanese adults.

Journal: BMC psychology

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Year of Publication: 2024

Affiliated Institutions:  School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box , Jounieh, Lebanon. Social and Education Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon. College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Bekaa, Lebanon. School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box , Jounieh, Lebanon. souheilhallit@usek.edu.lb. The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, Manouba, , Tunisia. feten.fekih@gmail.com.

Abstract summary 

Acknowledging the increasing worry over climate change and its psychological effects, the aim of this research is to clarify the dynamics between religiosity, climate anxiety and death anxiety, seeking to figure out the way religiosity mitigates the psychological effects of existential anxieties and climate related anxiety.Using Google Forms, a questionnaire was developed and disseminated through a variety of messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Through a snowball sampling technique, 763 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional during September 2023.The subsequent variables were adjusted in the moderation analysis: age, gender, and place of living. The results suggested that religiosity levels moderated the association between climate anxiety and death anxiety (Beta = 0.02, t = 1.97, p = .05, 95% CI 0.001, 0.035). At low, moderate, and high levels of religiosity, higher climate anxiety was significantly associated with more death anxiety. In addition, at low levels of climate anxiety, individuals with higher levels of religiosity (22.66) had more decreased levels of death anxiety compared to those with lower levels of religiosity (11.99). As climate anxiety levels increase, inverted patterns can be observed, with highly religious individuals showing higher levels of death anxiety than those with lower levels of religiosity. Overall, the relationship between climate anxiety and death anxiety was found to be weakest at low levels of religiosity and strongest at high levels of religiosity.Our findings suggest a possible beneficial effect of high religiosity at low levels of climate anxiety. This effect is reversed as climate anxiety starts to increase. Therefore, clinicians and policy-makers should bear in mind these complex interactions when designing strategies to mitigate mental health problems in the context of climate crisis.

Authors & Co-authors:  Abou Jaoude Jad J Obeid Sahar S Malaeb Diana D Sakr Fouad F Dabbous Mariam M El Khatib Sami S Hallit Souheil S Fekih-Romdhane Feten F Hallit Rabih R

Study Outcome 

Source Link: Visit source

Statistics
Citations :  Stokes B, Wike R, Carle J. Global concern about Climate Change, Broad Support for Limiting Emissions.
Authors :  9
Identifiers
Doi : 453
SSN : 2050-7283
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Humans
Other Terms
Climate anxiety;Death anxiety, Lebanon;Religiosity
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
England