University of Twente Student Theses
Scrolling Through the Climate Crisis : Exploring the Impact of Climate Change Related Doomscrolling on Helplessness and Depression
Apprich, N.F.A. (2023) Scrolling Through the Climate Crisis : Exploring the Impact of Climate Change Related Doomscrolling on Helplessness and Depression.
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| Abstract: | Climate change (CC) and excessive news consumption, like doomscrolling, have been linked to mental health issues such as helplessness and depression (HD). Doomscrolling is the excessive and obsessive consumption of negative news. Perceived social support has been deemed an important factor in both relationships. The present study integrates these findings and investigates the impact of doomscrolling on mental health in the context of climate while assessing the role of social support. The study uses an exploratory sequential mixed method research design. In the first phase, 15 people were interviewed, and their responses were analysed using thematic analysis to develop a questionnaire as a measurement instrument for CC doomscrolling (α = .75). In the second phase, 130 people completed an online survey containing the questionnaire from the first phase and questionnaires for doomscrolling, resilience for HD, and perceived social support. Participants with higher levels of doomscrolling showed lower resilience to helplessness and depression. Furthermore, a moderation analysis revealed that CC doomscrolling and perceived social support did not significantly moderate the effect of doomscrolling on resilience to helplessness and depression. A post hoc analysis also did not reveal moderation of social support on the effect of CC doomscrolling on resilience to helplessness and depression. The present research provides a measurement instrument to assess levels of doomscrolling in the context of CC. The statistical analysis findings did not suggest a role of social support in the relationship between doomscrolling and helplessness, and depression. Further research is needed to improve and validate the measurement instrument and to confirm the findings on perceived social support. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95569 |
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