CLIMATE ANXIETY AS A PREDICTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG FLOOD-AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Climate-related disasters, particularly flooding, have emerged as a significant threat to psychological well-being by increasing climate anxiety and psychological distress among affected populations. This correlational quantitative study investigated the relationship between climate anxiety and psychological distress among flood-affected individuals Using a purposive sampling technique, data were collected from 265 flood-affected adults, with the required sample size determined a priori using G*Power 3.1, ensuring adequate statistical power (1 −β = .95).The study employed the Urdu versions of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (Maqsood & Javaid, 2026) and the K6 Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2002). The measurement   model   demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach's  alpha coefficients of .97 for the Climate Change Anxiety Scale and .91 for the K6 Psychological Distress Scale. Data were analyzed  using descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and simple linear regression. The findings revealed a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between climate anxiety and psychological distress. Furthermore, climate anxiety significantly predicted psychological distress, indicating that individuals experiencing higher levels of climate anxiety were more likely to report elevated psychological distress. These findings emphasize the need for early psychological screening, evidence-based mental health interventions, and resilience-building strategies to reduce the adverse psychological impacts of climate-related disasters among vulnerable populations.