# The Relationship Between Climate Change Worry and Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Turkish Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that Turkish pregnant women who worry about climate change also experience higher stress, anxiety, and depression.

## Contribution

It is the first to explore the link between climate change worry and mental health in pregnant women.

## Key findings

- Higher climate change worry scores correlated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Education level, income, and perceived climate change effects significantly influenced worry scores.
- The study highlights mental health risks linked to climate change concerns during pregnancy.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between climate change worry and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnant women. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 367 pregnant women. Data were collected using the “Personal Information Form,” the “Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS),” and the “Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21).” Spearman rho and Kruskal–Wallis-H Test were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean total score for the CCWS was 20.22 ± 8.20. Significant differences in the scores for the CCWS were found for the levels of education, economic income, stated concern regarding climate change, and perceived effects of climate change for their location (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations also became apparent between the overall scores and subscale scores for the CCWS and the DASS-21 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that climate change concern is significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among pregnant women.