The Role of Personality Traits on Climate Change Anxiety in Emerging Adulthood Beliren Yetişkin Döneminde Kişilik Özelliklerinin İklim Değişikliği Anksiyetesi Üzerindeki Rolü

Today, climate change is not only an environmental problem, but also has significant effects on the mental health of individuals. Ecological changes such as frequently changing weather events, decreasing ecological diversity, and rapidly increasing air temperatures cause an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and negatively affect the well-being of individuals. It is thought that the personality traits of individuals who experience anxiety regarding ecological changes may be determinative. In other words, it is assumed that the personality traits of individuals will affect their reactions to changes related to ecological events. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of personality traits on climate change anxiety among emerging adults. The participants consist of 588 university students, 446 female and 142 male, to whom data collection tools were applied face to face. The Ten-Item Personality Scale and Climate Change Anxiety Scale were used to collect data. On data analyses, pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were used. As a result of the study, there were negative significant relationships between climate change anxiety and personality traits of extraversion, responsibility, emotional balance, and openness to experience. Another result of the study, extraversion and emotional balance had a predictive role on climate change anxiety.