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NCT Number: NCT06937021

The Impact of an Art and Philosophy-based Intervention on Children's Eco-anxiety

Objective: To examine the impact of climate change on children's mental health by comparing the effectiveness of an arts only intervention (ABI) and an arts and philosophy-based intervention (APBI) on children's eco-anxiety, tolerance to distress and hope for the future in school settings. The investigators hypothesized that the children assigned to the combined arts and philosophy intervention would show reductions in self-reported eco-anxiety, as well as increases in tolerance to distress and hope for the future in the context of climate change, when compared to children assigned to the arts-only intervention.

Setting: This study is conducted in public primary schools from England. Participants: Participants are students in grades 3 to 6. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome is self-reported eco-anxiety scores. Secondary outcomes are self-reported tolerance to distress, hope for the future and mental health (depression and anxiety symptoms).

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Key information

Conditions

Eco-anxiety Behavior Hope Mental Health Personal Satisfaction Psychological Distress Psychological Well-Being Tolerance to Distress

Age range

5 year–12 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Reach2 Academy, NorthStar Academy

Henhurst Ridge, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 9TQ, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • being an elementary school student

Exclusion criteria

  • not being an elementary school student

Treatment and study plan

Art and philosophy intervention (APBI)

Other

8 session intervention delivered during school time. Each session involves an art activity with a corresponding philosophical discussion.

Art based intervention (ABI)

Other

A 8 session intervention delivered during school time. Each session involve a creative arts activity.

Primary outcomes

  1. Eco-anxiety

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

    Self-reported child eco-anxiety

    Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale Minimum score: 0 Maximum score: 33 Higher scores mean worse outcomes

Secondary outcomes

  1. Tolerance to distress

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

    Self-reported child tolerance to distress

    Distress Intolerance Index for Youth Minimum score: 0 Maximum score: 36 Higher scores mean worse outcomes

  2. Hope

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

    Self-reported child hope

    1 item house scale: Thinking about climate change, how hopeful would you say you are that things will get better in the future? Minimum score: 0 Maximum score: 4 Higher score means a better outcome

  3. Mental health

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

    Self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms

    Selected items from the anxiety and depression subscales of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-III Minimum score: 0

    Maximum score anxiety: 9 Maximum score depression: 15 Higher scores mean a worse outcome

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Bishop's University

Other

Collaborators

  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Registry information

Official study title

The Impact of an Art and Philosophy-based Intervention on Children's Eco-anxiety: A Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 20, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 20, 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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