How does climate change affect mental health in cities?

The 2022 COP 27 climate summit has once again put the debate on climate change and its consequences on our lives and our societies on the table.

The acceleration in the increase in average temperatures in recent years is one of the most important indicators of this change, which is also measured in terms of the frequency of extreme events that occur year after year.

Prolonged droughts, storms and cyclones, heat and cold waves that we experience more or less closely depending on our day-to-day activities and interests.

Those of us who live in big cities are usually more concerned about having access to the internet than about the temperature outside the office.

More than half of the world's population lives in cities and, the general perception is that we have enough with day to day, here,

As if to add one more concern that seems so remote.

However, the consequences of climate change are already a reality in large cities.

And the lack of recognition of these consequences only makes the problem worse because it finds us unprepared and unable to give a response to the situation.

Not only that: these indicators of climate change affect mental health in an insidious and long-lasting way, which extends beyond the specific event and can eventually modify dynamics that we thought were under control.

And the lack of recognition of these consequences only makes the problem worse because it finds us unprepared and unable to give a response to the situation.

Not only that: these indicators of climate change affect mental health in an insidious and long-lasting way, which extends beyond the specific event and can eventually modify dynamics that we thought were under control.

And the lack of recognition of these consequences only makes the problem worse because it finds us unprepared and unable to give a response to the situation.

Not only that: these indicators of climate change affect mental health in an insidious and long-lasting way, which extends beyond the specific event and can eventually modify dynamics that we thought were under control.

Take heat as an example.

The impact of rising temperatures and the frequency of heat waves is often discussed in relation to crops, economic performance, international markets and food shortages.

In terms of health, we in cities are concerned about how heat waves affect older people and those in vulnerable jobs.

Some cities have specific places to take refuge during the hottest hours, and recommendations are issued in the media on habits and activities to keep citizens safe.

However, it is less known that visits to emergency services for mental health problems increase when temperatures rise,

It is not necessary for temperatures to reach extreme limits for these changes in consultations and admissions to occur.

The relationship between high temperatures and an increase in consultations for mental health care is observed when the heat exceeds the limits of the geographical area.

This data causes concern because, according to the logic of the progressive increase in average temperatures in relation to climate change, a progressive increase in mental health demands could be expected in the coming years as cities become increasingly hot.

Therefore, current estimates of the resources needed to care for cases with severe diagnoses would become outdated as the effects of climate change progress.

Some studies propose that humidity levels, and not just temperature,

are implicated in the affectation of mental health, since high levels of humidity seem to significantly increase the impact that high temperatures have on the perception of discomfort and perceived stress.

In the cases of people who already have a history of diagnosis and treatment for mental health problems, these increases imply an increase in vulnerability.

The consequences on the mental health care system are expected to be costly, to say the least.

these increases imply an increase in vulnerability.

The consequences on the mental health care system are expected to be costly, to say the least.

these increases imply an increase in vulnerability.

The consequences on the mental health care system are expected to be costly, to say the least.

Another way of looking at these associations is to explore the new cases (in relation to the total population) of people with a diagnosis of depression according to temperatures by geographic area where they live.

For example, a study in Taiwan examined data from depression diagnostic records between 2003 and 2013 in association with meteorological data such as temperature, length of daylight hours, and rainfall.

The risk of having a diagnosis of depression was lowest among people who lived in regions where average temperatures were around 20ºC-23ºC, while the risk increased by approximately 7% as the difference in average temperature between areas increased. increased 1°C.

This study highlights another consequence of climate change associated with temperature changes:

people residing in areas of extreme cold also had a higher risk of depression.

In this sense, not only the increase in average temperatures, but also extreme weather conditions seem to be capable of producing negative changes in the mental health of populations.

Perhaps one of the strongest results in recent years regarding the impact of weather factors on mental health comes from a study conducted in the United States.

In this case, a measure of general mental health was used, reported by the study participants themselves.

The results extrapolated to the total population of that country showed that an increase in the monthly average temperature between 25 °C and 30 °C to averages above 30 °C during a period of 30 days, represented almost 2 million additional people with perceived poor mental health.

The same associations are repeated when differences in temperature over the years are taken into account, but also in short periods of time.

Less clear is the picture of the psychological, social, and neurobiological mechanisms that sustain these relationships.

We are looking here for example for intermediaries, factors associated with both climate change and mental health.

For example, conflict and interpersonal violence.

A series of studies carried out on historical data dating back to 1950 generated great controversy by presenting the idea that climate changes on a planetary scale are directly related to global patterns of civil conflicts.

From here, the idea that high temperatures are associated with an increase in violent behavior has found support in multiple studies in a diversity of geographic areas, socioeconomic levels, and political realities.

Violent interpersonal relationships,

Whether in the form of civil conflict or violence within the couple, domestic violence, and between peers, they are the risk factors most clearly related to mental health problems and psychiatric diagnoses throughout life.

Viewed this way, it is possible that the increased need for mental health care during hot weather may be due, at least in part, to an increase in interpersonal violence.

This opens a new door to primary prevention actions focused on both temperature control and the behavior it promotes.

It is possible that the increased need for mental health care during hot seasons may be due, at least in part, to an increase in interpersonal violence.

This opens a new door to primary prevention actions focused on both temperature control and the behavior it promotes.

It is possible that the increased need for mental health care during hot seasons may be due, at least in part, to an increase in interpersonal violence.

This opens a new door to primary prevention actions focused on both temperature control and the behavior it promotes.

Another interesting proposal is the mechanism of action of psychiatric medication and its relationship with the regulation of body temperature.

There are different known possible effects of psychoactive drugs on thermoregulation, such as that of antipsychotics on hypothalamic temperature, that of anticholinergics and tricyclic antidepressants on sweating capacity, or that of beta-blockers due to their ability to reduce sweat loss. of heat

All these mechanisms, sufficiently complex each one in its own way and even more so when the processes involved in the production of symptoms typical of each diagnosis are included, could modify the way in which the body manages to reach an optimal temperature state, increasing the risk of be affected by external temperature changes.

Today,

we have little knowledge about the drugs typically used in the treatment of mental health diagnoses as possible causative factors of hyperthermia.

Even so, these proposals are interesting not only for what they show but also for the path they open.

It would not be surprising if, in the near future, we have to review what we know about mental health and the treatment of illness in light of the new reality brought about by climate change.

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