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

NCT07095387 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 767-2023-1376
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 87
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Eco-anxiety

Keywords

art-intervention; philosophy inquiry; eco-anxiety; coping with climate change; school-based intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Coping with climate change

  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.

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• Eco-anxiety

  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).

  Baseline and 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Intolerance to distress

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• General anxiety

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• Self-determination

  Baseline and 8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Creative arts an philosophy inquiry intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group received the one workshop per week for 7 weeks. Each workshop combined artistic creation and group philosophical inquiry on a certain theme related to climate change (e.g., responsibility, hope, the beauty of nature)

Behavioral: Making room for climate emotions in the classroom

Wait-list control group

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

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.

Creative arts an philosophy inquiry intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 13 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Elementary school student in recruited classrooms

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Université du Québec a Montréal: lead
• Bishop's University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Bishop's University

Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1M 1Z7, Canada

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Model Details: Randomized cluster trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 1, 2025
• First Posted: July 31, 2025
• Study Start: February 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 28, 2024
• Study Completion: May 25, 2024
• Last Updated: July 31, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)