Environmental Deterioration and Psychosocial Distress in West Africa: Evidence from Afrobarometer Survey Data

This dataset provides replication materials for a study examining the relationship between perceived environmental deterioration and psychosocial distress in West Africa using nationally representative survey data. The dataset is derived from Afrobarometer Rounds 8 (2019–2021) and 9 (2021–2023) and covers eight countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Niger (total N = 14,872). It contains processed and aggregated data used to reproduce all descriptive statistics, regression models, and structural equation modelling (SEM) results reported in the associated manuscript. The dataset operationalises key constructs central to the study, including: Environmental Exposure Index (EEI): Composite measure of perceived drought severity, crop failure, and climate impacts on agriculture Environmental Distress Proxy Index (EDPI): Composite measure of life dissatisfaction and pessimism about the future Institutional trust and community cohesion indicators Socio-demographic and livelihood variables, including poverty (LPI), farming dependence, education, gender, age, and rural/urban residence The data enable replication of the study’s central finding: that perceived environmental deterioration is significantly associated with psychosocial distress, with stronger effects among farming-dependent populations and moderating effects of social cohesion. Data Contents and Structure The dataset is provided in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format and includes the following sheets: README: Metadata, licensing, and dataset overview Codebook: Variable definitions, coding schemes, and source survey questions Table1_SampleStats: Sample characteristics by country Table2_Correlations: Bivariate correlation matrix Table3_Regression: Multilevel regression results Table4_Country: Country-level stratified results DescriptiveStats: Extended descriptive statistics SEMResults: Structural equation modelling outputs (path coefficients, fit indices, indirect effects) SensitivityChecks: Robustness and sensitivity analyses All values correspond directly to those reported in the manuscript. Data Source and Access Conditions The dataset is based on publicly available Afrobarometer survey data. Due to licensing restrictions, raw microdata are not included in this repository and must be obtained directly from the Afrobarometer website (https://www.afrobarometer.org) under their terms of use. This repository contains derived variables, summary statistics, and model outputs only, along with accompanying R scripts to enable full replication. Methods Summary The dataset supports analyses conducted using: Multilevel regression modelling Structural equation modelling (SEM) Design-weighted estimation accounting for survey sampling All analyses were implemented in R (version 4.3.1) using packages including lavaan, survey, and semTools. Reuse Potential This dataset is suitable for: Replication and validation of published findings Comparative research on climate–mental health linkages Studies of environmental perception and wellbeing in the Global South Methodological work using proxy indices for psychological constructs Teaching advanced quantitative methods (multilevel modelling, SEM) It provides a rare large-scale empirical resource for studying ecological distress outside Global North contexts. Limitations The dataset contains derived and aggregated data only, not raw survey microdata Psychological constructs are measured using proxy indicators, not clinical instruments The cross-sectional design limits causal inference Some highly vulnerable populations (e.g., displaced or nomadic groups) are not captured in the underlying survey Ethics Statement This study is based on secondary analysis of anonymised, publicly available survey data. No additional ethical approval was required. Keywords Solastalgia; ecological distress; climate change; West Africa; Afrobarometer; psychosocial wellbeing; environmental perception; socio-ecological systems Suggested Citation Ahiadu, H. O. (2026). Replication data for: Environmental Deterioration and Psychosocial Distress in West Africa: Evidence from Afrobarometer Survey Data