A COR Model of Eco-Anxiety:A Study on University Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose: Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the purpose of the study is to examine how climate change perception, institutional sustainability commitment, and environmental self-efficacy drive sustainable lifestyle engagement, which in turn shapes eco-anxiety among university students in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional quantitative design with purposive sampling collected data from 436 university students across 10 public and private universities in Bangladesh. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the effects of climate change perception, institutional sustainability commitment, environmental self efficacy, and sustainable lifestyle engagement on eco-anxiety.

Findings: Climate change perception, institutional sustainability commitment, and environmental self-efficacy significantly predict sustainable lifestyle engagement, jointly explaining 57% of its variance. Sustainable lifestyle engagement is also negatively associated with eco-anxiety, highlighting its role as a resource-investment mechanism through which individuals respond to climate-related concerns.

Practical implications: Universities can function as psychosocial resilience ecosystems by strengthening institutional sustainability commitmentand student environmental self-efficacy, integrating climate-focused mental health support and sustainability education, establishing climate resilience units and peer-support networks, and embedding eco-anxiety management across academic disciplines rather than confining it to environmental science or psychology programs.

Originality/value: This study is among the first to apply COR theory to eco-anxiety research in a climate-vulnerable South Asian context, offering a novel theoretical lens and empirical evidence on the resource-based mechanisms linking climate perceptions, institutional and personal resources, and sustainable behavior to psychological well-being.