How Extreme Heat Impacts Behavior and Cognition
- Chase Noteware
- Jul 28, 2024
- 2 min read
I recently read an article from the American Psychology Association's "Monitor on Psychology" that discusses how extreme heat affects mood, energy, and mental health. The article begins by detailing how 2024 may beat the record-setting temperatures of 2023.
People in heat-sensitive areas know how deadly heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and sunburns can be, but the mental effects are less acknowledged. Mental health conditions often exacerbated by heat include substance use disorders, anxiety/stress-related disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, self-harm disorders, and childhood behavioral disorders. Lower level psychological effects such as irritability, impulsivity, and distractedness are still being researched, but scientists concur that these side effects are present and dangerous.
According to a 2023 study conducted by the APA and ecoAmerica, “young people are particularly at risk, given…health effects on developing brains”. Another demographic at risk are those on mental health medications. The heat intensifies certain disorders, like depression or anger, and also prompts psychotic outbreaks. Some doctors don’t disclose possible effects from heat, thus leaving their users in the dark unless they read the mile-long list of side effects on the label. In 2022, JAMA Psychiatry conducted a study that found “mental health-related emergency visits [increased by] 8%… on the hottest days of summer”.
The implications of these findings are far-reaching, particularly in the context of rising global temperatures and increasingly frequent heatwaves. Public health strategies need to prioritize education and awareness about the potential mental health risks associated with extreme heat. This includes training healthcare providers to recognize heat-related mental health symptoms and to inform patients about these risks. Additionally, communities should develop support systems to help vulnerable populations, such as establishing cooling centers and ensuring access to mental health resources during periods of extreme heat. By taking these steps, we can mitigate some of the adverse effects of climate change on mental health.
Without proper treatment and awareness, deaths could skyrocket, more fights could occur, and overall mental health could plummet. It’s vital that associations like the APA or JAMA Psychiatry receive funding to continue studies/experiments that will discover remedies for heat-related psychiatric issues.
As the heat of summer approaches, make sure to drink a lot of water, get in some AC, and be aware of your mental state, but also have some summer fun!
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