Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS)
13-item climate distress check, about 4 minutes
Worried about climate change? The CCAS measures how much climate-related distress affects your thoughts, emotions, and daily functioning. 13 items, ~4 minutes.
What is climate anxiety?
Climate anxiety (sometimes called eco-anxiety) is the distress people feel when they think about climate change and its effects. It is not a mental disorder — it is a rational response to a real threat. But when that distress becomes overwhelming, it can interfere with sleep, concentration, relationships, and daily life.
The CCAS measures exactly this: not whether you care about the environment, but whether thoughts about climate change are causing you psychological harm. Clayton and Karazsia published it in 2020.
What does it measure?
The 13 items break into two areas:
- Cognitive-emotional impairment: How climate change affects your thinking and feelings — trouble concentrating, nightmares, crying, rumination.
- Functional impairment: How climate distress interferes with your life — having fun with family/friends, balancing sustainability with family needs, getting work done.
Scoring
Each item runs 1-5, from never to almost always. Higher scores mean more climate distress (Cosh et al., 2024).
About this scale
Clayton & Karazsia (2020) built the CCAS across three studies. Internal consistency runs α=0.92-0.95.
This is a research tool, not a diagnosis. If climate distress is weighing on you, talking to a professional can help.
Result Interpretation
After completing the 13 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.