Eco-anxietyNCT06937021
The Impact of an Art and Philosophy-based Intervention on Children's Eco-anxiety
A study testing Art and philosophy intervention (APBI) and Art based intervention (ABI) in people with Eco-anxiety and Psychological Distress, run by Bishop's University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 5 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Eco-anxiety, Psychological Distress, Tolerance to Distress
- What is being tested?
- Art and philosophy intervention (APBI) and Art based intervention (ABI)
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 3 Feb 2023to Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 5 to 12 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- being an elementary school student
Who cannot join
- not being an elementary school student
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site
Reach2 Academy, NorthStar Academy
Henhurst Ridge, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 9TQ
About this study
Official title: The Impact of an Art and Philosophy-based Intervention on Children's Eco-anxiety: A Pilot Study
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).
- Conditions
- Eco-anxiety, Psychological Distress, Tolerance to Distress, Hope, Mental Health
- Being tested
- Art and philosophy intervention (APBI), Art based intervention (ABI)
- Keywords
- Art-based interventions, Philosophical inquiry, eco-anxiety, children, schools, mental health
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Art-based intervention (ABI) | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Other: Art based intervention (ABI) |
| Arts and philosophy intervention (APBI) | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Art and philosophy intervention (APBI) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Eco-anxiety
Self-reported child eco-anxiety
Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale Minimum score: 0 Maximum score: 33 Higher scores mean worse outcomes
Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Tolerance to distress
Self-reported child tolerance to distress
Distress Intolerance Index for Youth Minimum score: 0 Maximum score: 36 Higher scores mean worse outcomes
Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Hope
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
Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Mental health
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
Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Apr 2025
- Study start3 Feb 2023
- Primary completionJun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Eco-anxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bishop's University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, Bishop's University
- Investigators
- Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, PhD, Principal investigator, Bishop's University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06937021
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 102683
- Status last verified
- Apr 2025
- First submitted
- 11 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 20 Apr 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Apr 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Impact of an Art and Philosophy-based Intervention on Children's Eco-anxiety: A Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06937021
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 102683
- Conditions
- Eco-anxiety, Psychological Distress, Tolerance to Distress, Hope, Mental Health
- Keywords
- Art-based interventions, Philosophical inquiry, eco-anxiety, children, schools, mental health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Bishop's UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Study start
- 3 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 20 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Art-based intervention (ABI) | Active comparator | Other: Art based intervention (ABI) |
| Arts and philosophy intervention (APBI) | Experimental | Other: Art and philosophy intervention (APBI) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 5 to 12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- being an elementary school student
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- not being an elementary school student
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Art and philosophy intervention (APBI)8 session intervention delivered during school time. Each session involves an art activity with a corresponding philosophical discussion. | Other | Arts and philosophy intervention (APBI) |
| Art based intervention (ABI)A 8 session intervention delivered during school time. Each session involve a creative arts activity. | Other | Art-based intervention (ABI) |
Primary outcome
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
3 secondary outcomes
Tolerance to distress
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Hope
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Mental health
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Apr 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, PhD principal investigator
Bishop's University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Art and philosophy intervention (APBI) and Art based intervention (ABI) in people with Eco-anxiety and Psychological Distress, run by Bishop's University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Apr 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Eco-anxiety (time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Apr 2025.