THE ECOLOGY OF WELL-BEING: SELF-ESTEEM, CLIMATE ANXIETY, AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IDENTITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51200/sapj.v14i1.7877Keywords:
Climate Change Anxiety, Environmental Identity, Self-Esteem, Psychological Well-Being, Young Adults, IndonesiaAbstract
Climate change anxiety has emerged as a significant psychological concern among young adults, reflecting emotional distress related to environmental degradation and climate-related threats. This study investigated the moderating effects of environmental identity and climate change anxiety on the relationship between self-esteem and psychological well-being among Indonesian young adults (N = 409, aged 18-25 years). Using a cross-sectional correlational design, participants completed measures of self-esteem, psychological well-being, climate change anxiety, and environmental identity. Moderated multiple regression analysis revealed that self-esteem was a significant positive predictor of psychological well-being (β = .210, p < .001), consistent with established literature. Unexpectedly, environmental identity showed a significant negative direct effect on well-being (β = -.107, p = .028), suggesting that strong connection to nature may entail emotional costs. Climate change anxiety did not significantly predict well-being (p = .069). Crucially, the hypothesized moderation effect was not significant (β = .044, p = .470), indicating that environmental identity does not influence the self-esteem-well-being relationship. These findings suggest that environmental identity and self-esteem represent separate pathways to well-being rather than interactive mechanisms. Results highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions addressing climate-related distress directly, rather than assuming enhanced self-esteem will mitigate these emerging psychological challenges among young adults in climate-vulnerable contexts.
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