Academically reviewed by Dr. Kellen Gracey, Ph.D. in political science.
Climate Concern Test
The American Psychological Association has identified climate anxiety as a new type of mental health phenomenon. Mental health studies from Greenland to Australia reveal a surge in people reporting anxiety, stress, or depression about the climate.
What is your level of climate concern? For each of the following statements, indicate your level of agreement below.
Question 1 of 15
I worry that it is irresponsible to have children, given the current state of the planet.
| Disagree | Agree |
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The IDRlabs Climate Anxiety Test (IDR-CAT©) was developed by IDRlabs International. The IDR-CAT is based on scientific research regarding climate anxiety and related topics.
The IDRlabs Climate Anxiety Test was informed by recent research and additions to the psychological literature on the topic of climate anxiety. Climate anxiety can be defined as emotional distress due to climate change and ongoing destruction of the natural environment. The present test is unique because in addition to examining climate anxiety, this test also queries the presence of two other frequently correlated factors: climate depression (e.g., crying, sadness, lethargy) and climate activism (e.g., recycling, avoiding plastics, food choices). Higher levels of climate activism have been found to help alleviate some of the symptoms and experiences of related climate anxiety. IDRlabs International and the present IDRlabs Climate Anxiety Test are independent from other researchers, organizations, or institutions that have produced work in the areas of climate anxiety, depression, and/or activism.
The IDRlabs Climate Anxiety Test was created by professionals certified in the delivery and interpretation of numerous psychological measures, and who have worked in various areas of psychology including research methods, personality typology, and mental health. Free online tests such as the present climate test were developed for the purpose of providing individuals an informative and educational look at the psychological construct being measured; they should, therefore, not be misunderstood to be a conclusive answer regarding any aspect of one’s personality, psychological state, or personal beliefs. For more on climate anxiety, concern, depression, and activism, please see: American Psychological Association/ecoAmerica. (2014). Beyond storms & droughts: The psychological impacts of climate change and U.S. Global Change Research Program, (2016). The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: A scientific assessment.
Though developed and validated by professionals, free online tests such as this are unable to provide professional psychological assessments, definitive test results, or personal recommendations of any kind; personalized test scores and accompanying personality snapshots provided by our free online climate test are provided “as-is.” For additional information about our climate anxiety test and our other free online psychological tests, please refer to our Terms of Service.
References
- American Psychological Association/ecoAmerica. (2014). Beyond storms & droughts: The psychological impacts of climate change.
- Clayton, S., Devine-Wright, P., Stern, P.C., Whitmarsh, A. C., Steg, L., Swim, J., & Bonnes, M. (2015). Psychological research and global climate change. Nature Climate Change, 5, 640–646. doi:10.1038/nclimate2622.
- Doppelt, B. (2016). Transformational resilience: How building human resilience for climate disruption can safeguard society and increase wellbeing. West Yorkshire, UK: Greenleaf Publishing.
- U.S. Global Change Research Program, (2016). The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States: A scientific assessment. http://dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0R49NQX.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Climate Concern Test measure?
It measures levels of climate anxiety, climate depression, and climate activism by asking how much you agree with statements about each.
How are climate depression and climate activism defined here?
Climate depression covers crying, sadness, and lethargy tied to climate issues, while climate activism covers actions like recycling, avoiding plastics, and food choices.
Why might someone score high on climate activism?
Higher activism scores reflect greater engagement in behaviors that the test links to possible relief from climate-related distress.
What should users keep in mind about their results?
Results are for educational purposes only and do not provide a conclusive assessment of personality, mental state, or personal beliefs.
Where does the test say its definitions of climate anxiety come from?
The test states its definitions draw from recent psychological research and are informed by work cited from the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Why Use This Test?
1. Free. This free online Climate Anxiety Test is delivered to you at no cost and will provide you with personalized test results and a complimentary snapshot of the degree to which you demonstrate signs of climate anxiety, climate depression, and/or climate activism.
2. Unique. While other online tests of climate anxiety exist, the present test was informed by scientific research and examines the related factors of climate depression and climate activism in addition to climate anxiety.
3. Relevant to current events. Issues concerning climate change have quickly become some of the most frequently discussed and hotly debated topics around the world. Both public knowledge and scientific research in the area of climate anxiety are rapidly expanding.
4. Statistical controls. Personalized test scores are added to an anonymized database, and statistical analyses are performed to ensure validity and reliability of test results.
5. Developed by professionals. This test has been created by professionals experienced in psychometrics, personality inventories, and similar assessments.