[ad_1]
In the wake of a UN report that we had until 2030 to prevent climate change from raising temperatures above a key threshold, another study found that increased heat could also result in a deterioration of mental health.
Nick Obradovich, a researcher at MIT's Media Lab and co-author of the new study, warned of a "catastrophic" decline in mental health for some, if climate change causes a global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
"Our article, coupled with evidence that climate change can affect everyday human mood and lead to serious consequences such as suicide, provides further evidence that heat exposure on average worsens consequences on mental health, "said Obradovich, according to Inverse.
The UN report says that at the current pace, the world will witness an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels between 2030 and 2052.
For the study, the researchers analyzed a dozen or so data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which allowed 2 million people to self-assess their behavior. state of mental well-being.
These data were collected from 2002 to 2012.
The researchers say they have seen an increase in "emotional problems" over 30-day periods with average temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the study's findings, low-income individuals and women were 60% more likely to have climate-related emotions than high-income individuals and men, respectively.
Specifically, the study determined that people's mental health problems increased by 0.5% in one month, averaging over 86 degrees Fahrenheit compared to a month with an average of 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
The study also found that an increase of 1 degree Celsius over 5 years – or an increase of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit – resulted in a 2% increase in the number of mental health problems.
Other studies have linked suicide rates to temperature.
Published in Nature Climate Change, a study by Stanford University economist Marshall Burke found that a 1.8-degree Fahrenheit increase in monthly average temperature results in a 0.7% increase in rates in the United States and 2.1% in Mexico.
"Surprisingly," Burke told Medical News Today, "these effects differ very little depending on the wealth of the population or its warm weather."
But that's not all: the study used climate change models to predict that 9,000 to 40,000 suicides could be caused by climate change by 2050 if nothing is done to stop the rise temperatures.
Another study, covering 17 years of data from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on heat waves and hospital admissions, also revealed an increase in the number of people presenting at the hospital to automutilate during the hottest periods of the year.
Despite these findings, Obradovich admits that, even with his new study, "we can not be sure" of the exact reason why the atmosphere seems to be changing.
"This could be due to the effects of heat on sleep, on daily mood, on physical activity rates, on heat-related illnesses, on cognitive performance, or on any complex combination. of the above, "he said, according to Inverse. "Unfortunately, these processes are so complex that we can not easily identify the mechanism that determines our results."
[ad_2]
Source link
