2023-07-30 12:30:14
Extreme heat negatively affects mental health: anger, depression, and concentration disorders
Ali Erdogan, a professor of mental health at the Faculty of Human Medicine Hospital of the Turkish University of Akdeniz in the state of Antalya, in southern Turkey, said that the high temperature negatively affects mental health.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Erdogan stated that the climate change crisis is now casting a shadow over the entire world, especially since meteorology has recorded in the past years high temperatures that exceed all normal rates.
Erdogan pointed out that the extremely high temperatures cause psychological disorders such as anger and depression, in addition to a group of other mental health problems. “Amid extreme temperatures, sleep disorders increase and quality decreases, which leads to an increase in diseases such as depression and anxiety,” he explained.
He added, “People who find it difficult to breathe during hot weather suffer from many health problems, foremost of which are heart palpitations and increased rates of panic attacks.”
Diseases and traffic accidents
And the mental health specialist stated that the high temperatures cause an increase in the rates of tension and psychological stress among people, which doubles the rates of quarrels and charged situations. He explained that “high temperatures above normal levels can cause anger, irritability and tension among individuals. High temperatures not only make our bodies sweat, but also negatively affect our mental health.”
In this context, Erdogan spoke of “the possibility that hot weather may also lead to an increase in traffic accidents, because it causes a number of disturbances in attention and concentration.” He explained, “With attention and concentration disorders, it is possible to notice an increase in traffic accidents, especially in areas that require high concentration,” stressing that “balancing temperatures is a very important issue for mental health.”
Erdogan stressed that “because of the impact of the climate crisis on all of us, both physically and psychologically, we must heed the warnings of experts and participate in efforts to combat the climate crisis.” And he advised, “People who realize that they suffer from a sleep disorder or suffer from stress and psychological stress, should review a mental health clinic to obtain specialized support, especially during periods of high temperatures above normal,” as is the case these days.
Women are among the most affected
In a related context, Erdogan mentioned that an increase in the number of patients suffering from psychological problems was recorded during the hot weather, and that scientific studies prepared around the world confirm the negative impact of high temperatures on mental health.
He pointed out that statistics show an increase of 10 percent in the number of visits to doctors specializing in psychiatric and mental illnesses in emergency departments, during periods of high temperatures.
Erdogan warned that “an increase of 10 percent is dangerous, especially in hot weather, as psychological attacks increase and tensions worsen as well. Extremely high temperatures may increase episodes of psychological and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.”
The mental health specialist called on people with such chronic diseases to exercise more caution, especially in hot weather, and to obtain medical support in the event that they suffer seizures during a sharp rise in temperature.
While Erdogan pointed out that the elderly suffer from stress more than others during periods of high temperatures, he said: “On the other hand, we see that women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of high temperatures, so they should be more careful than men from exposure to extreme temperatures higher than natural annual rates.
(Anatolia)
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