Mindfulness, climate anxiety and psychological distress: a pathway to pro-environmental action in Pakistani emerging adults.
Nuzhat Bashir, Iram Gul, Rakhshanda Liaqat
Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health May 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2026.10234 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 340 |
| Population | University students aged 19-25 years from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan |
| Measures | Climate Change Anxiety Scale, DASS-21, MAAS |
| Topics | Meditation Anxiety |
| Keywords | Pakistan Psychological distress Pro-environmental behavior Climate anxiety |
| Key findings | Climate change anxiety was positively correlated with psychological distress and indirectly associated with lower pro-environmental behavior through distress. Mindfulness was positively associated with pro-environmental behavior, both directly and indirectly through lower distress and lower climate change anxiety, suggesting it may be relevant to climate-related distress and environmental engagement. |
Abstract
Climate-related worry is increasingly recognized as a mental health concern and a potential correlate of pro-environmental behavior (PEB). However, little is known about these associations in the Global South or the potential role of mindfulness. This crosssectional study examined relationships among climate change anxiety, psychological distress, mindfulness, and PEB in 340 university students (aged 19-25 years) from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Data were collected between January and June 2024 using validated measures of climate change anxiety (Climate Change Anxiety Scale), psychological distress (DASS-21), dispositional mindfulness (MAAS), and PEB. Analyses included bivariate correlations, block-wise linear regression, and mediation models (PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap resamples). Climate change anxiety was positively correlated with psychological distress (r = .47, p < .001) and indirectly associated with lower PEB through distress (ab = -.09, 95% CI [-.15, -.04]). Regression analyses showed that mindfulness was positively associated with PEB (β = .27, p < .001), whereas distress (β = -.22, p = .002) and climate change anxiety (β = -.18, p = .018) were negatively associated with PEB. Mindfulness was indirectly associated with higher PEB through lower distress (ab = .11, 95% CI [.05, .19]) and lower climate change anxiety (ab = .08, 95% CI [.02, .15]), while also showing a direct positive association with PEB. These findings highlight mindfulness as a relevant factor for understanding climate-related distress and environmental engagement among young adults.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
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