Climate Anxiety and Climate Change Perceptions in Malaysian Higher Education: Impacts on Emotion, Cognition, and Function
Abstract
Objective: To assess the level of climate anxiety among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) undergraduate students, describe associated negative thoughts and functional impacts, and examine differences by gender and faculty, as well as correlations among emotional, cognitive, and functional domains.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among IIUM undergraduate students (n=222) using an adapted version of the Climate Anxiety Questionnaire, with government-response items removed. The instrument assessed emotional responses, negative beliefs, and functional impacts. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Mann–Whitney U tests compared median domain scores by gender and faculty (health vs non-health), while Spearman correlation assessed associations among domains. Statistical significance was set at p-value<0.05.
Results: Participants were predominantly female (77.9%) and from health-related faculties (64.9%). Emotional concern about climate change was high, with most respondents reporting moderate to extreme worry regarding its threat to people and the planet. Negative beliefs were common, particularly perceptions of a frightening future and collective failure to protect the environment. Functional impacts on daily activities were generally low to moderate. Male students reported significantly higher emotional response and functional impact scores than female students, while negative beliefs did not differ by gender. Non-health students showed significantly higher emotional response and negative belief scores compared with health students, with no difference in functional impact. Emotional response and negative beliefs, as well as functional impact and negative beliefs, were positively correlated; however, emotional response was not significantly correlated with functional impact.
Conclusion: IIUM undergraduates demonstrate substantial emotional engagement with climate change, though functional disruption remains limited. The significant correlations between negative beliefs and both emotional response and functional impact suggest interconnected emotional and cognitive responses, although emotional response was not significantly associated with functional impact.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDF (Early Version)References
Lingos A, Zapanti GT, Klioumis N, Karaevangelou PR, Skanavis C. From Awareness to action: How urban greening and climate change shape student health perceptions in higher education. Sustainability 2025;17:4807.
Ahmead M, El Sharif N, Maqboul E, Zyoud RA, Nawajah I. The impact of climate change experience on Palestinian university students’ mental health: a cross-sectional study. Front climat 2025;7:1580361.
K Ghazy H, M Fathy D. Effect of awareness program regarding climate change on knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students. Int Egypt J Nurs Sci Res 2023;3:186-203.
Kundariati M, Ibrohim I, Rohman F, Razak SA, Nida S. Is the climate change being real? A case study of college students’ climate change perception at universiti Malaya. Int J Environ Sci Educ 2025;5:19-29.
Baharudin RA, Sakawi Z, Malek JA, Abas A. Knowledge and attitude of climate change adaptation: the view of Malaysian university students. Planning Malaysia 2024;22.
Farid F, Rajendran A, Balasubramanian J, Aminuddin N, Liang J. A cross-sectional study on knowledge, risk perception and behavior related to climate change among students of university of Cyberjaya. Int J Multidiscip Res 2024;6.
Shukri AM, Aziz FS, Masran MI, Harun SN, Mohamed HK. Understanding university students’ perceptions and attitudes towards low carbon initiatives in the context of climate change: A Malaysian perspective.
Muraguri C. Assessing of the impact of climate Change on academic performance among university students from Kajiado County. Afr Multidiscip J Res 2018;3.
Leal Filho W, Ayal DY, Wall T, Shiel C, Paco A, Pace P, Mifsud M, Salvia AL, Skouloudis A, Moggi S, LeVasseur T. An assessment of attitudes and perceptions of international university students on climate change. Climate Risk Manag 2023;39:100486.
Ogunbode CA, Player L, Lu S, Park MS, Doran R. Climate anxiety in perspective: a look at dominant stressors in youth mental health and sleep. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2025;1552:249-62.
Yang L, Liao W, Liu C, Zhang N, Zhong S, Huang C. Associations between knowledge of the causes and perceived impacts of climate change: a cross-sectional survey of medical, public health and nursing students in universities in China. Int J Environ Res Public health 2018;15:2650.
Mugambiwa SS, Dzomonda O. Climate change and vulnerability discourse by students at a South African university. Jamba: J. Disaster Risk Stud 2018;10:1-6.
Haq SM, Ahmed KJ. Perceptions about climate change among university students in Bangladesh. Natural Hazards 2020;103:3683-713.
Hickman C, Marks E, Pihkala P, Clayton S, Lewandowski RE, Mayall EE, Wray B, Mellor C, Van Susteren L. Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey. Lancet Planet. Health 2021;5:e863-73.
Sanson A, Dubicka B. The climate and ecological mental health emergency–Evidence and action. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27:1-3.
Ogunbode CA, Doran R, Hanss D, Ojala M, Salmela-Aro K, van Den Broek KL, Bhullar N, Aquino SD, Marot T, Schermer JA, Wlodarczyk A. Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries. J of Environ Psychol 2022; 84:101887.
Boluda-Verdu I, Senent-Valero M, Casas-Escolano M, Matijasevich A, Pastor-Valero M. Fear for the future: Eco-anxiety and health implications, a systematic review. J Environ Psychol 2022;84:101904.
Mahudin ND, Hakim SA. Climate anxiety as a public health issue: an exploratory study of climate anxiety in Malaysian youth and their beliefs about government responses to climate change. Malays. J. Public Health Med 2023;23:86-98.
Burke SE, Sanson AV, Van Hoorn J. The psychological effects of climate change on children. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2018;20:35.
Clayton S, Manning C, Speiser M, Hill AN. Mental health and our changing climate. 2021.
Karaliuniene R, Ojeahere M, Jatchavala C, Nagendrappa S, Vadivel R, Vahdani B. Environmental factors and challenges in managing addiction and neurodegenerative disorders. In addiction and neurodegenerative disorders; 2025; p.185-97. CRC Press.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.