A warmer and more temperate world will weigh on the mental health of humans

Scientists have predicted many disturbing consequences of global warming on Earth's ecosystems, as well as on human health and well-being. Among them, there is an increased risk for our mental health. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences notes that short-term exposure to extreme weather, multi-year warming and exposure to tropical cyclones is associated with a deterioration of mental health.

"Environmental stressors that can be generated by climate change – additional exposure to heat, natural disasters – we have evidence linking these environmental stressors to a deterioration in the state of mental health. CityLab Nick Obradovich, one of the researchers, told CityLab.

As part of the study, researchers examined meteorological and climatic data in combination with the responses of nearly 2 million randomly selected US residents in the behavioral risk factor surveillance system. a long time ago on health, carried out by the CDC. Between 2002 and 2012, survey respondents answered the following question: "Now think about your mental health, which includes stress, depression and emotional problems, for how many days in the last 30 months , your mental health has not been good? "measure the incidence of psychiatric disorders, but more generally the state of mental health, including in people in" subclinical "distress.

Compared to temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit), average monthly maximum temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) increase the likelihood of mental health problems by approximately 1%. This may seem tiny without context, but the shift from average high monthly temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius (77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) to average temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius would result in nearly 2 million more people reporting 30-day mental health problems, extrapolated to the current numbers of the American population. The study also reveals that higher precipitation increases the risk of mental health problems.

It is not known what mechanism or mechanisms are at work. Obradovich noted a number of possibilities: Heat can disturb sleep; The climate fueled by climate change is less pleasant to live; warmer temperatures can be a physiological stressor. The study has determined correlations, but further research is needed to understand the exact causes.

"One of the most difficult things with studies like this is to spell out precisely why we are observing what we are doing," Obradovich said. "It could happen for a variety of reasons. And I think that one of the problems we are least aware of is the amount of sleep that plays a role in this situation. But we do not really know how it works – how much, in hours per night, sleep is disrupted by rising temperatures, [and] how people can adapt to that. "

Obradovich and his fellow researchers also found that exposure to Hurricane Katrina increased the number of reported mental health problems by approximately 4%, comparing reported mental health states in federal areas. affected by a disaster, before and after Katrina.

The study does not imply that a general mental health crisis is inevitable. The researchers note that adaptation is possible and will depend on the factors that determine trends. For example, if heat is harmful to sleep, improved and more widespread cooling could help us adapt to higher temperatures. Or we could go out at different times of the day. "There is a whole range of small-scale behavioral adaptations," Obradovich said, which could help us better cope with climate change.

Although he is reluctant to suggest targeted approaches to mitigating the effects of climate change on mental health due to the need for further research on the cause (s), Obradovich noted that in general, more resources for treating mental health problems would improve society. resistance.

"It will not be a bad thing for governments and NGOs to allocate additional resources to do a better job with … improving the state of mental health of the citizens of the states." States and the world, "he said. "We will not go wrong with this approach."