As I write this, it is a beautiful June afternoon – the sun is out, there is no humidity, and there is a wonderful temperate breeze wafting through my office window. For anyone who lives in Connecticut, you know these types of days will soon be shifting to the July and August dog days of higher heat, oppressive humidity, a heated sun. As our world heats up as the result of climate change, you may be noticing that summers are hotter than ever before – the sun more intense and relief more elusive. It is not your imagination; 2023 was reported to be the hottest year on record in 100,000 years (van Susteren, 2024). Such summers are examples of a warming world, affecting both city and country dwellers alike. 

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Such heat not only has an impact on our physical beings, but on our emotional and mental health, as well. Many of us have probably had the experience of increased irritability, lack of motivation, and lethargy as the temperatures soar. Recent research has shown a correlation between extreme heat and an increased rate of suicide in the most vulnerable, with heat events causing more deaths than natural disasters (Dumont, 2024; Thompson, Hornigold, Page, and Waite, 2018). In their systematic review of studies examining the effects of extreme heat on mental health, Thompson, et al. (2018) found that there is an increase in the use of mental health services during heat events. Meadows, Mansour, Gatto, Li, Howard & Bentley (2023) also found that people who have pre-existing mental health issues (such as those suffering from schizophrenia) have increased adverse effects to heat (such as ER visits), and poorer mental health outcomes, especially if they live in urban environments and have less access to heat mitigation measures. 

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So what can we do for ourselves, as well as for those most vulnerable among us? Here are some (but not all!) strategies to consider as we head into a warmer season:

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Personal:
1.   Prepare a heat plan: As temperatures soar, do you have access to air conditioners, fans, or shady outside spaces? If you can, plan to spend more time indoors and adjust your activities accordingly on the warmest days. Do meditation or deep breathing to keep your body and mind regulated. Take cooling showers. Find out where your town’s cooling centers are if there is a disruption to the electrical grid.
2.   Stay hydrated: Drink lots of water, eat fruit with high water content (think watermelon).
Deliver water to where homeless folk are known to gather.
3.  During a heatwave, check in regularly with those you know who are vulnerable – elders; those with depression, anxiety, and other mental health illnesses; those who live in cities.

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Political:
1.   Call your representatives to determine what plans your town has to make sure people have access to cooling centers.
2.   Advocate in your community for mental health access and climate change legislation that challenges the fossil fuel industry.

Stay cool, in body and spirit!

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Donna DiCello, Psy.D. is a member of the CT chapter of Sierra Club, as well as a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance-North America, Outreach and Advocacy Committee.

 

 

 

 

References
Dumont, C. (2024). Heat and Mental Health. Presentation at: Yale University School of Medicine, Yale Climate Change and Mental Health Group.

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Thompson, R., Hornigold, R., Page, L. & Waite, T. (2018). Associations between high ambient  temperatures and heat waves with mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Public Health, 161, pp. 171-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.06.008.

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Meadows, J., Mansour, A., Gatto, M.R., Li, A., Howard, A. & Bentley, R.  (2024). Mental illness and increased vulnerability to negative effects from extreme heat events: A systematic review. Psychiatry Research, 332, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115678.

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van Susteren, L . (2024). What does climate change have to do with mental health? Presentation at: Yale University School of Medicine, Grand Rounds.