Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Climate change is a pressing global issue with diverse mental health impacts. However, the relationship between climate change perceptions and mental health remains poorly explored. Rapid climate change in Alaska makes it an ideal setting to explore these relationships. Thus, 204 Alaskan adults were surveyed to assess their perceptions of climate change and explore the relationships between climate change perceptions, exposure to adverse climate impacts, and psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of depression, anxiety, and climate-related post-traumatic stress). Results suggest that participants agree that climate change is real, human-caused, negative, and impacts areas both close to and far from where they live. Participants disagree with the perception that climate change will have positive consequences and the perception that climate change will not be experienced until a far point in the future. For the most part, perceptions in climate change did not differ significantly by demographic or geographic characteristics. Perceiving climate change as negative and human-caused was associated with greater climate-related post-traumatic stress symptoms, even after controlling for demographic variables and for variables known to promote mental health: self-esteem and self-efficacy. Perceiving climate change as negative was also associated with greater anxiety symptoms. Lastly, adverse climate impacts were significantly associated with climate-related post-traumatic stress symptoms, even after controlling for attitudes toward climate change. demographic variables, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and These findings can inform future policies and interventions by providing a more nuanced understanding of Alaskans' perceptions of climate change and their potential mental health implications.

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