The Role of Coping Self-Efficacy in the Effect of Climate Change Anxiety on Environmental Behaviour in Adolescents

Background Climate change has become an increasing psychosocial stressor for adolescents, contributing to higher levels of climate change anxiety in this age group. However, the mechanisms linking climate anxiety to pro-environmental behavior remain unclear, particularly the role of coping-related psychological processes. This study aimed to examine the role of coping self-efficacy in the relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior among adolescents. Method This cross-sectional, descriptive–correlational study was conducted with 170 adolescents aged 10–20 years who attended the adolescent outpatient clinic of Dr. Behçet Uz Children’s Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using standardized scales. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analysis using PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5000 bootstrap samples were performed. Results Climate anxiety was negatively associated with coping self-efficacy, while coping self-efficacy was positively associated with pro-environmental behavior (p<.05). No significant correlation was found between climate anxiety and pro-environmental behavior at the bivariate level. Mediation analysis indicated that coping self-efficacy did not have a significant mediating role. However, when coping self-efficacy was included in the model, climate anxiety showed a significant direct effect on pro-environmental behavior. Conclusion These findings suggest that climate change anxiety alone may not directly lead to pro-environmental behavior, but higher coping self-efficacy may strengthen adaptive behavioral responses. Interventions aimed at improving coping skills may help adolescents manage climate-related concerns more effectively and support environmentally responsible behavior.