Environmental degradation, eco-anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Palestinian adults: The mediating role of coping strategies

Aims: The current study aimed to test the association between environmental degradation, ecoanxiety and posttraumatic symptoms, and whether copying strategies mediate the association between these variables among a sample of Palestinian adults. Methods: The sample of our study consisted of 554 Palestinian adults, of whom 392 identified as female and 162 as male. Participants’ age ranged from 19 to 54 years old (M = 35.8, SD = 12.31). They were all recruited from online advertisements, e-mail campaigns, and social media. Results: The findings of our study revealed that posttraumatic stress symptoms positively correlated with environmental degradation, eco-anxiety, and avoidant coping, and negatively correlated with problem focused coping, and emotion focused coping. Results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that coping strategies mediated the association between environmental degradation, echo anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Conclusion: The findings of our study emphasize the need for tailored psychological support and coping strategies for individuals experiencing eco-anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms in the face of environmental challenges