Exploring the Experiences of Students Coping with Climate Anxiety to Maintain Hope & Motivation: A Scoping Review of Current Literature

Abstract: Climate Anxiety, or anxiety stemming from an overwhelming fear of the climate crisis, is a growing phenomenon among student populations studying climate, environmental, and sustainability-related subjects (Clayton et al., 2021). When not managed properly, feelings of climate anxiety can lead to a dismissal of the seriousness of the climate crisis and even action paralysis (Hickman et al., 2021; Sangervo et al., 2022). This scoping literature review aims to synthesize the current literature on how students cope with climate anxiety, addressing the research question: How do students experience climate-related hope and anxiety, and how do different interventions or practices influence their motivation to engage in climate action? This review employed a SPIDER approach and PRISMA-ScR guidelines to identify and examine the 12 included pieces of literature through an inductive thematic analysis. This analysis identified three main themes: the complex relationship between climate anxiety and pro-environmental behaviors, the role of hope as a coping strategy, and education-focused interventions for coping with climate anxiety. This analysis highlighted tools that can be utilized in education to help students manage climate anxiety, foster critical hope, and maintain motivation to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. This literature review supports the call for academic institutions to integrate well-being support for their students studying climate-related subjects. It suggests further research on coping strategies to develop critical hope among undergraduate students.