Climate Anxiety in a Young Population at Risk of Suicide (Anx-RS)

June 2, 2026 updated by: Bertrand Olliac, Centre Hospitalier Esquirol

Climate change has become a major source of concern, particularly among younger generations who are facing the progressive degradation of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and alarming environmental information disseminated through the media. The direct perception of climate-related disruptions has been shown to engender a profound sense of helplessness and loss. This distress, termed eco-anxiety, is characterised by feelings of fear, sadness and guilt regarding the planet's future.

In a context where there has been a marked increase in suicidal thoughts and attempts among young people over the past decade, it is essential to explore the psychological manifestations of eco-anxiety within this vulnerable population. The paucity of studies investigating this association underscores the significance of the present research.

The aims of this study is to examine the relationship between climate anxiety and suicidal risk among young people aged 16 to 24 years.

The study will encompass 108 young participants aged between 16 and 24 years, who are either hospitalised or receiving outpatient psychiatric care.

Each participant will be required to complete one clinician-administered assessment, namely the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and two self-report questionnaires: the Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version (CCAS-FR) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y).

Furthermore, a sociodemographic questionnaire will be administered in order to collect information regarding the subjects' age, sex, education level, living conditions, and psychiatric history.

It is hypothesised that there is a positive association between climate anxiety and suicidal risk, with the most eco-anxious participants showing higher C-SSRS scores. It is further predicted that eco-anxiety will correlate with elevated levels of state and trait anxiety, with the potential for modulating this relationship by sociodemographic factors, including gender.

This study will contribute to a better understanding of the psychological impacts of climate change on young people and help identify the most vulnerable profiles.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The Anx-RS France study investigates the association between climate change-related anxiety (eco-anxiety) and suicidal ideation among young people aged 16 to 24 years in France. Growing evidence suggests that climate change may contribute to psychological distress and feelings of hopelessness in younger generations. However, data on the link between eco-anxiety and suicide risk in this age group remain limited.

This is an observational, cross-sectional study including 108 participants recruited from university settings and the general population in France. Eligible participants are aged 16-24 years, fluent in French, and provide informed consent (parental consent is obtained for minors). Participants will be excluded if they have a health condition that prevents them from understanding or completing the study questionnaires. This includes major sensory impairments (e.g., deafness, blindness), severe psychiatric disorders affecting cognition or communication (e.g., acute psychosis, pervasive developmental disorder, confusional state), or current hospitalization in specialized psychiatric units for severe mental illness.

Participants complete a self-administered online survey composed of three validated instruments:

  • Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) - measuring anxiety, rumination, and functional impairment related to climate change.
  • State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T/Y) - assessing general trait anxiety levels.
  • Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) - evaluating suicidal ideation and behavior.

Descriptive analyses will estimate the prevalence and intensity of climate-related anxiety. Correlational and multivariate analyses will assess the association between eco-anxiety (CCAS) and suicidal ideation (C-SSRS), adjusting for general anxiety levels (STAI-T/Y).

The results will improve understanding of how climate-related distress affects mental health and suicide risk among young people in France, and support prevention strategies and mental-health policy adaptation to emerging environmental stressors.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

108

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of 108 adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 24 years, recruited within the Esquirol Hospital Center (France). Participants are approached in adult and pediatric emergency departments, adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry units, as well as during outpatient consultations.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women, boys and girls ;
  • Aged between 16 and 24;
  • Participants seen in adult or pediatric emergency departments, hospitalised in adult psychiatry or in child and adolescent psychiatry, or seen in outpatient consultation at Esquirol Hospital Center ;
  • Affiliated with a social security scheme or entitled to coverage under one ;
  • Having received full information about the study and having co-signed, together with the investigator, an informed consent form to participate in the study.
  • For minor participants: the consent to participate in the study must be signed by the holder(s) of parental authority, and the minor's assent will also be required.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants will not be included in the study if their health condition is incompatible with understanding or completing the questionnaires used. This includes, in particular ;
  • Any chronic somatic pathology or major sensory impairment (for example : deafness or blindness) preventing reading, comprehension or communication with healthcare professionals ;
  • Any severe psychiatric pathology that significantly impairs cognitive or communication abilities, such as acute psychotic disorders, pervasive developmental disorders or confusional states ;
  • Participants hospitalised in units specialising in severe psychiatric disorders with major impairment of cognitive functions.
  • Adults under legal protection, in accordance with article L 1121-8 of the Public Health Code ;
  • Insufficient command of the French language

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Young Population at Suicide Risk
Adolescents and young adults aged 16-24 years, recruited from emergency, inpatient, and outpatient psychiatry units at Esquirol Hospital Center (France). Participants complete standardized questionnaires assessing climate change anxiety (CCAS-FR), suicidal ideation and behavior (C-SSRS), and general anxiety (STAI-C or STAI-Y).
Other: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
Standardized tool for evaluating suicidal ideation and behavior. Measures severity and intensity of suicidal thoughts and actions.
Other: Climate Change Anxiety Scale - French version
22-item self-report questionnaire assessing cognitive, emotional, functional, and pro-environmental dimensions of climate change-related anxiety.
Other: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, French version
40-item self-report inventory measuring both state and trait anxiety levels.
Other: Socio demographic profil
Collects demographic and background variables such as age, gender, education level and living conditions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Climate Change Anxiety Score
Time Frame: 10 min

Global score from the 13-item French version of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS-FR), obtained by summing the cognitive, emotional, and functional disturbance subscales. Higher scores indicate greater levels of climate change-related anxiety.

Score ranges 13 to 65
10 min
Suicide Risk Score
Time Frame: 10 min
Overall score of suicidal ideation and behavior assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Higher scores indicate greater suicide risk Score ranges from 2 to 25.
10 min

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Extended Dimensions of Climate Change Anxiety
Time Frame: 10 min
Subdimension scores from the extended version of the CCAS-FR, assessing cognitive, emotional, and functional disturbances, as well as direct or indirect experience of climate change and pro-environmental behaviors.
10 min
State and Trait Anxiety Scores
Time Frame: 20 min
Anxiety levels measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The STAI-C is used for participants aged 16-17 years, and the STAI-Y for those aged 18-24 years. Separate state and trait anxiety scores will be analyzed Score ranges 20 to 80
20 min

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Esquirol

Collaborators

Mireille BELLE MBOU
Emma BEAU

Investigators

  • Study Director: Bertrand OLLIAC, MD, PhD, Hospital Esquirol Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 15, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 12, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 12, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

December 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 2, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025-A00139-40

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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