Carbon Brief reposted this
☀ Five ways mental health is affected by extreme heat ☀ (Disclaimer: It's not good news!) 1. Suicide rates have been shown to increase in higher temperatures 2. Warming nights are eroding human sleep globally – and the effect is three times larger for residents of lower-income countries, making mental health problems worse. 3. There is a growing body of research linking extreme heat with an increase in violent behaviour, such as homicides, sexual violence and assaults, which – in turn – can negatively impact mental health. 4. People living with mental health conditions may be more likely to live in less energy-efficient housing, have less access to adaptation mechanisms such as air conditioning, be more socially isolated, or work in occupations that increase their exposure to extreme heat. 5. Certain medications for mental health problems – such as some antidepressants or antipsychotics – may disrupt the body’s ability to regulate temperature, meaning that people taking these medications may be more vulnerable in high temperatures. This may explain why people taking these medications are at higher risk of being hospitalised or dying during heatwaves. Thank you, Alessandro Massazza, for this excellent article in the Carbon Brief https://lnkd.in/dJ_-ehiS