Mental Health + Heat

Extreme Heat Takes a Toll on Our Mental Health

Juanita Constible / Senior Advocate, Environmental Health

As the climate changes, extreme heat will have graver consequences for our physical and mental well-being.

Heat has important implications for our mental health, potentially leading to increased emergency room visits, higher risk of death, and reduced emotional well-being.

 

People coping with mental illness can be particularly sensitive to the physical effects of heat exposure, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Those who use certain medications like anti-depressants are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. A study published in the journal European Psychiatry found that these medications impacted the body's ability to regulate temperature, leading to an increased risk of heat-related death for people who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses.

 

Extreme heat does more than risk the physical health of people with mental health diagnoses -- it can also exacerbate their existing mental health conditions. A study in Toronto found that temperatures above 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) were associated with increased rates of emergency room visits for mental health-related conditions. As mean temperature increases, the number of these kinds of visits likewise increase.