2023-07-30 07:55:19
Ali Erdogan, a professor of mental health at the Faculty of Human Medicine Hospital at the Turkish University of Akdeniz in the state of Antalya (south), said that the extreme rise in temperatures negatively affects the mental health of people.
In an interview with the Turkish “Anatolia” agency, Erdogan said that the climate change crisis is now casting a shadow over the entire world, and that meteorology has recorded during the past years high temperatures that exceeded all averages.
He pointed out that the extremely high temperatures cause psychological disorders such as anger and depression, in addition to a group of mental health problems.
He explained that “in extreme temperatures, sleep disorders increase and its quality decreases, causing an increase in diseases such as depression and anxiety.”
He said, “People who find it difficult to breathe during hot weather suffer from many health problems, primarily heart palpitations and increased rates of panic attacks.
Diseases and traffic accidents
Erdogan stressed that the high temperatures cause an increase in the levels of stress and nervousness among people, which increases the rate of quarrels and situations with a tense atmosphere.
He said: “A rise in 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 psychological health.”
He added: “Hot weather can also lead to an increase in traffic accidents, because hot weather causes a number of disturbances in attention and concentration.”
He continued, “With attention and concentration disorders, an increase in traffic accidents can be observed, especially in areas that require high concentration. Temperature balance is a very important issue for mental health.”
According to Erdoğan, the climate crisis affects all of us, both physically and psychologically, so we must heed the warnings of experts and participate in efforts to combat the climate crisis.
He says, “We recommend that individuals who realize that they suffer from a sleep disorder or suffer from nervousness visit a mental health or neurological clinic to obtain specialized support, especially during periods of high temperatures above normal levels.”
Most affected women
Erdogan also mentioned that they witnessed an increase in the number of patients suffering from neurological problems during periods of hot weather, and that scientific studies conducted around the world confirm the negative impact of high temperatures on neurological health.
He pointed out that the statistics show an increase of 10 percent in the number of visits to psychiatrists in the emergency department during periods of high temperatures.
He said: “The 10 percent increase is considered a dangerous rate, especially during hot weather, when the number of neurological seizures, some chronic mental illnesses and tensions increases, in addition to the fact that a sharp rise in temperature may increase the rate of attacks of diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.”
He added, “We advise 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.”
Erdogan pointed out that the elderly suffer from stress more than others during periods of high temperatures.
Erdogan concluded, “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 greater than the normal annual rates.”
1690703792
#Extreme #heat #psychological #mental #disorders
