Heatwave affects Mental Health: Study

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I have found an amazing report on HEATWAVE and its effects on human mental health. Oxford University had shared it on its Facebook page, and I got it from there. The publisher is theconversation.com.

Since there is so much in this research report article summary, I have decided to only mention the facts that detail the results of heatwaves.

The report says that heat waves – as well as other weather events such as floods and fires -  present the symptoms of depression in people with depression. It also incurs anxiety among those who had previous experience with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

GAD is a long-term condition that causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than 1 specific event.

Heatwave and suicide: For every 1 degree Celsius increase in monthly average temperature, mental health-related deaths increase by 2.2%.

Humidity and temperature cause an increase in manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Disorder: formally known as manic depression is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

Heatwave and Thinking: Research shows that heat wave massively affects the areas of the brain that are usually responsible for framing and solving complex cognitive tasks.

Interesting Case Study: Students in Boston found that those in rooms without air conditioning during a heat wave performed 13% WORSE THAN THEIR PEERS IN COGNITIVE TESTS AND HAD 13% SLOWER REACTION TIME.

Due to heat, people lose their ability to think clearly, leading to aggression.

Heat waves can also result in a rise in violent crimes. According to research, about a 1 degree or 2 degrees Celsius increase in ambient temperature can lead to a 3-5% spike in assaults.

Reason: A brain chemical called serotonin, which, among other things, keeps levels of aggression in check, is affected by high temperatures.

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