Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Creative Arts and Philosophical Inquiry Intervention Rooted in Self-Determination Theory to Promote Adaptive Coping with Eco-Anxiety among Elementary School Children: A Pilot Randomized Cluster Trial

Background Children's exposure to climate change information through educational and media channels can lead to experiencing eco-anxiety. When children use maladaptive coping strategies such as avoidance and de-emphasizing the seriousness of the threat, their anxiety and distress levels increase significantly. Research indicates that creative arts and existential psychology interventions grounded in self-determination theory may promote healthier coping mechanisms like creating meaning. Methods This randomized cluster pilot study examined whether a creative arts and philosophical inquiry intervention could foster adaptive coping strategies in elementary school children. Eighty-seven students across four classrooms participated. The experimental group ( n = 46) received a seven-week intervention addressing eco-anxiety themes, while control groups ( n = 41) remained on a waiting list. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessed climate change coping strategies, eco-anxiety dimensions, and self-determination. Results Results showed significant decreases in overall eco-anxiety, affective eco-anxiety, and rumination eco-anxiety scores from pre- to post-intervention, regardless of group assignment. No significant interaction effects emerged between the intervention and time on any of the measured variables, indicating the intervention did not produce differential outcomes compared to the control condition. Implications: Results suggest that discussing climate change in the classroom through artistic creation and philosophical inquiry did not promote adaptive coping nor impact eco-anxiety. The observed reductions in eco-anxiety across both groups could reflect external factors or contamination effects rather than intervention effectiveness. Future research should employ longitudinal designs with larger, more diverse samples and incorporate more sensitive measurement tools, shorter questionnaires, and child-appropriate assessments to better understand intervention impacts on children's climate-related mental health.