Anhedonia in relation to meaning in life, prosocial/pro-environmental behaviours and sense of self

Demir-Kassem, S. (2026) Anhedonia in relation to meaning in life, prosocial/pro-environmental behaviours and sense of self. PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00129940

Abstract/Summary

Background: Adolescent depression is highly prevalent worldwide, has risen markedly over the past two decades, and is strongly linked to suicide risk. Anhedonia, defined as the reduced ability to experience pleasure, motivation, and reward anticipation, is a core feature of depression and often remains resistant to traditional treatments, which mainly target negative affect rather than promoting positive affect and reward engagement. Although behavioural activation shows promise, anhedonia can interfere with the motivation required to engage in therapeutic activities. A previous qualitative work with adolescents high in anhedonia revealed a lack of purpose and difficulty seeing a bigger picture, experiences closely related to the concept of meaning in life (MIL)—the perception that life has significance, coherence, and purpose. MIL is a robust protective factor that buffers stress, reduces depressive symptoms, and promotes well-being, yet its direct relationship with anhedonia remains largely unexplored and has not been empirically tested. In the same study, adolescents also reported a weakened sense of self, described as a lack of self-awareness rather than a negative self-view. A coherent sense of self is essential for developing MIL and appears to be inversely related to anhedonia, suggesting that strengthening sense of self may indirectly reduce anhedonia by enhancing MIL. Another promising pathway for increasing MIL is the promotion of prosocial and pro-environmental behaviours (PEB), defined as voluntary actions intended to benefit others and linked to improved well-being. These behaviours may reduce anhedonia by fostering the development of MIL through engagement with meaningful and value-driven activities. Moreover, on top of the global mental health crisis, climate change constitutes a shared stressor for today’s youth, evoking a spectrum of eco-emotions. Eco-anxiety and its milder form, eco-worry, have been shown to increase PEB, a form of prosocial action, but may also lead to paralysis, particularly in individuals with existing mental health difficulties such as anhedonia. Other emotions—eco-anger, guilt, and grief—remain underexplored and may interact differently with PEB. It is therefore important to investigate how these eco-emotions, together with individual levels of anhedonia and MIL, shape engagement in PEB. Methods: Young people aged 16–25 years, with varying levels of depressive symptoms, were recruited (14–18 years in Paper 3). Depression was assessed using the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and anhedonia with the Anhedonia Scale for Adolescents (ASA). Paper 1 additionally measured sense of self (The Multidimensional Sense of Self Scale; MSoS), prosocial behaviours (Prosocialness Scale), and meaning in life (Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale; MEMS). Papers 3 and 4 included measures of pro-environmental behaviours (PEB); eco-anxiety was measured with The Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS-13) in Paper 3, while Paper 4 assessed daily eco-emotions (eco-worry, eco anxiety, eco-anger, eco-guilt, eco-grief). Paper 1 (N = 429) tested a mediated path model linking sense of self and prosocial behaviours to anhedonia via MIL cross-sectionally and longitudinally (5-month follow-up). Paper 2 qualitatively explored the impact of a 12-session beekeeping programme with thematic analysis of interviews (N = 11). Paper 3 (N = 432) used regression and moderation analyses to examine eco-anxiety, anhedonia, and PEB cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Paper 4 (N = 126) employed a 10-day daily diary design with multilevel modelling to test within-person associations between daily eco-emotions, PEB, and the moderating roles of MIL and anhedonia. Results: In Paper 1, a stronger sense of self and greater prosocial behaviour were associated with higher MIL, which, in turn, was linked to lower anhedonia. Over time, this mediating effect was observed only for sense of self, indicating its unique longitudinal influence on anhedonia through MIL. Paper 2’s thematic analysis revealed that participants encountered both challenges and motivators for engagement. They reported psychosocial benefits such as reduced stress and improved emotional well-being, rediscovered a sense of self and MIL through new experiences and by overcoming depressive symptoms, and developed stronger environmental awareness. In Paper 3, cross-sectional results showed that young people who experienced higher levels of eco-anxiety engaged in more PEB. However, this relationship weakened when anhedonia was higher—specifically, when individuals experienced reduced enjoyment, excitement, and emotional responsiveness. The anhedonia subscale reflecting lower enthusiasm, connection, and purpose was directly associated with lower PEB, even after controlling for eco-anxiety and depression. Longitudinal results indicated that stable or increasing levels of enthusiasm, connection, and purpose increased the positive effect of eco-anxiety on PEB. Paper 4 found that daily eco-worry and eco-anger were associated with greater PEB. Eco worry also predicted increased engagement the following day, while eco-guilt was linked to lower next-day engagement. The coherence subcomponent of MIL weakened the association between eco-worry and PEB but strengthened the effect of eco-anger. Additionally, higher anhedonia—specifically lower enthusiasm, connection, and purpose— intensified the relationship between eco-worry and PEB. Limitations: As the sample was predominantly composed of young and well-educated women, the generalizability of the results is constrained. Conclusions: Together, these studies offer new evidence that MIL, sense of self, and prosocial behaviour are central factors that may help buffer against anhedonia and enhance well-being. The findings indicate that engaging youth in purposeful, experiential, and nature oriented activities—such as pro-environmental behaviours—can foster emotional regulation, social connectedness, and a renewed sense of purpose. Such approaches may offer a promising and underutilized avenue for both preventive and therapeutic mental health support during adolescence. Crucially, the results also demonstrate that positive motivational states— including enthusiasm, connection, and purpose, can reduce anhedonia while transforming difficult eco-emotions, such as eco-anxiety, into meaningful climate action. Moreover, individual differences in anhedonia and perceived MIL moderate the relationship between eco emotions and PEB, underscoring the importance of targeted intervention strategies. Overall, the findings identify mechanisms that can inform psychotherapeutic and preventive efforts aimed at reducing anhedonia, promoting MIL, and sustaining engagement in climate action.

Item Type	Thesis (PhD)
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/129940
Identification Number/DOI	10.48683/1926.00129940
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
Date on Title Page	September 2025
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