Eco-anxiety has gained increasing attention as a psychological response to contemporary environmental crises, yet it is often framed primarily as an individual mental health issue. In this talk, I propose a broader and integrative perspective, conceptualizing eco-anxiety as a multidimensional psychosocial phenomenon shaped by environmental threats, social relations, political contexts, and communication processes. Drawing on a series of empirical studies conducted in Québec, I examine how different dimensions of eco-anxiety relate to mental health, wellbeing, and engagement in the face of socio-environmental disruptions. Its existential, social, and relational facets will be explored, along with their links to hope, worldviews, and ways of imagining the future. Beyond empirical findings, the talk aims to reflect on how eco-anxiety is discussed, negotiated, and sometimes contested in interpersonal interactions, media narratives, and public discourse, while highlighting the value of systemic and interdisciplinary perspectives. Overall, the presentation aims to open a discussion on eco-anxiety not only as an individual experience, but also as a meaningful signal of broader social, political, and communicational dynamics at play in a rapidly changing world.
Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and an Adjunct Professor at UQAM's Institute of Environmental Sciences. Her research is situated within social and environmental psychology. She is the co-director of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Eco-Emotions and Citizen Engagement (GIREEC), which she founded in 2020. She is also a member of several research groups and networks, including the InterSectoral Flood Network of Québec (RIISQ). Her work focuses on the motivational and psychological processes underlying environmental engagement, as well as on the psychosocial impacts of climate change. She has a particular interest in eco-anxiety, collective action, and car dependency in the context of socio-ecological transition.
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