The association between climate change anxiety and future anxiety among nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Climate change is considered a significant global issue with not only environmental but also psychological implications. It is reported that feelings of anxiety and uncertainty related to climate change are increasing, especially among young individuals. It is important to examine climate-related psychological concerns among nursing students. The aim of this study was to examine the association between climate change anxiety and future anxiety among nursing students. This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with nursing students at a public university located in southeastern Türkiye. The population consisted of 372 nursing students. Quota sampling was used to recruit participants. A total of 301 nursing students participated in this study (response rate: 80.91%). Data were collected between December 18, 2025 and January 14, 2026. Data analysis was performed using the Jamovi software package (Version 2.5.4.0). There was a positive and statistically significant but weak correlation between climate change anxiety and overall future anxiety (rₛ=0.163, p = 0.004). The hierarchical regression analysis showed that sociodemographic variables explained 11.8% of the variance in future anxiety. When climate change anxiety was added to the model, the explained variance increased to 15.6%, representing a significant additional contribution of 3.8% (ΔR² = 0.038, p < 0.001). Climate change anxiety was positively associated with future anxiety after controlling for sociodemographic variables (B = 0.14, β = 0.199, p < 0.001). Additionally, it was found that individuals who had previously heard the definition of climate change have lower climate change anxiety scores, while their hopelessness about the future scores were higher ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was determined that students who did not choose the nursing department willingly have significantly higher overall future anxiety and fear of the future scores ( p < 0.001). The results showed a statistically significant but weak association between climate change anxiety and future anxiety among nursing students. It is recommended that nursing education programs include more content on climate change and environmental sustainability, and that educational and counselling programs be developed to support students in coping with the psychological implications of these issues. Not applicable.