AIM: This study employed a descriptive, a cross-sectional and analytical (correlational) design to determine the relationship between climate change anxiety, death anxiety, and psychological resilience among older adults with chronic illnesses living in Kars, located in eastern Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out from March 2025 to November 2025 with the participation of 386 older adults living in Kars. The study data were collected online using an "Information Form," the "Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS)," the "Psychological Resilience Scale (PRS)," and the "Death Anxiety Scale (DAS)." The data obtained in the study were analyzed using the DataBeeg 1.0 program. The chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Bonferroni test for difference comparison, and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used in the evaluation of the data. The statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. RESULTS: The study found that the mean scores for the climate change anxiety scale (3.61 ± 0.56), psychological resilience scale (2.79 ± 0.46), and death anxiety scale (13.13 ± 2.13) were moderate. A low-level negative correlation (r = - 0.124, p = 0.015) was found between the Climate Change Anxiety Scale and the Psychological Resilience Scale, while a low-level positive correlation (r = 0.258, p < 0.001) and a moderate negative correlation (r = - 0.307, p < 0.001) were observed between the Psychological Resilience Scale and the Death Anxiety Scale (p < 0.05). Female participants' climate change anxiety and death anxiety scale scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than those of male participants (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High climate change anxiety and death anxiety were associated with decreased psychological resilience in older adults with chronic diseases. It is recommended that intervention programs be implemented that take into account socio-economic characteristics and gender differences to improve the health status of older adults, increase their quality of life, develop health systems, and reduce psychological effects.
Aydın et al. (Tue,) studied this question.