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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07095387

Pilot Study of a School Based Intervention for Coping With Climate Change

The present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of a school-based program that combined creative arts and philosophy inquiry to discuss climate change emotions with children. The objective was to determine if there were changes that could be seen in the group that participated in the weekly workshops (total of 7 workshops) compared to the group who did not participate (control group). A questionnaire was administered to all children before the intervention began and after it finished to compare scores on the variables of coping with climate change, eco-anxiety, intolerance to distress, general anxiety, and self-determination.

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Key information

Conditions

Eco-anxiety

Age range

8 year–13 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bishop's University

Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1M 1Z7, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Elementary school student in recruited classrooms

Exclusion criteria

-

Treatment and study plan

Making room for climate emotions in the classroom

Behavioral

This intervention combined creative arts workshops using drawing, photography, painting and collage to introduce a theme related to climate change and promote emotional expression. The artistic creation was followed by a philosophical inquiry group discussion on a theme related to the artistic creation to allow critical thinking and sharing perceptions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Coping with climate change

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

    The Coping with Climate Change Scale for Adolescents developed by Ojala (2012) uses a Likert-type scale (0 = not true at all for me; 4 = completely true for me) to measure three coping dimensions (problem coping, avoidance coping, and meaning coping). Lower scores represent less usage of this coping strategy, while higher scores indicate high usage of this coping strategy.

  2. Eco-anxiety

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

    The Hogg Eco-anxiety Scale (2021) was adapted to children by making the language more accessible. The scale is rated on a 4-point Likert type scale (0 = Never, 3 = Almost every day), and higher scores indicate higher eco-anxiety (worst outcomes).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Intolerance to distress

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

    The Distress Intolerance Index for Youth (Keller, 2019) uses a 5-point Likert type scale (0 = Not at all true for me to 4 = Very true for me), and higher scores indicate higher intolerance to distress (worst outcome).

  2. General anxiety

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

    The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children 3rd edition for Canadian francophones (BASC-III; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) uses a Likert-type scale (0 = never to 3 = almost always), and higher scores indicate higher anxiety symptoms (worst outcome).

  3. Self-determination

    Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks

    The Self-Determination at School Scale (Savard et al., 2013) uses a 5-point Likert-type scale (from 0 = Almost never to 4 = Almost always) where higher scores indicate higher levels of self-determination (better outcome).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Université du Québec a Montréal

Other

Collaborators

  • Bishop's University

Registry information

Official study title

Eco-anxiety and Coping in Children: Results From a Pilot Randomized Cluster Trial Evaluating the Impact of a Creative Arts and Philosophical Inquiry Intervention for Elementary School Students

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jul 31, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 31, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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