Psychological Anxiety Responses to Climate Change in Nangarhar University Students

Climate change is a global problem, and psychological anxiety responses are becoming recognized as a way in which climate change affects mental health. It is not merely detected in populations that suffer as direct effects of climate change. It can also be seen by people who are aware of climate change impacts. The aim of this study was to determine Nangarhar University students’ views about psychological anxiety responses to climate change. Participants in this study included all students at Nangarhar University who were studying in 2023. Participants completed the validated Climate Change Anxiety Scale through an online Google Form, which was shared with 13 faculty student groups for two weeks. In a convenience sampling method Among them, 350 participants provided their answers that have been included in a quantitative analysis. The collected data were transferred to the SPSS 24 version for analysis through Cronbach's alpha, descriptive method (percentage, number, mean, and standard deviation). The result of this study shows that participants were highly concerned about drought and moderately concerned about hot weather floods and earthquakes. This study also indicates higher psychological anxiety responses in cognitive-emotional impairment and functional impairment due to climate change. This study reveals that participants were more psychologically anxious in both categories of cognitive-emotional impairment and functional impairment due to climate change, so it is suggested to include climate change anxiety in governmental policies and plans for reducing the psychological responses to climate change.