WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Extreme heat during warmer months can double the risk of children and young adults being admitted to hospital for serious mental health conditions, according to a new study.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Sydney analyzed more than 720,000 hospital admissions in New South Wales between 2001 and 2022 involving people aged 24 and younger. They found that when daily temperatures reached the hottest 1% ever recorded for that time of year, the risk of mental health-related hospital admissions doubled during the warmer months (October to March) and tripled during the cooler months.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, also predicts that heat-related mental health hospital admissions could increase by 6% to 7.7% by the end of this century as global temperatures continue to rise.
'These are not mild presentations. There has to be a lot going wrong for a person to be admitted,' co-author Cybele Dey said, The Guardian reports.
'Climate change is already impacting children and young people's mental health in multiple ways. This is not the first study to show a link between unusually warm temperatures and children being admitted to hospital with mental disorders.'
Notably, the research looked only at the most serious mental health cases that required hospital admission, including depression, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and self-harm. It did not include emergency department visits or outpatient treatment.
The researchers did not investigate exactly why higher temperatures were linked to more mental health admissions. However, they said previous studies suggest that extreme heat may directly affect how the brain works, especially during the hotter months.
They also said the sharp rise in hospital admissions after heatwaves points to a physical response to high temperatures. Possible reasons include poor sleep, increased stress, changes in brain function, greater impulsive behavior, and higher alcohol or drug use.
The findings highlight the need for governments and health officials to include mental health risks in plans and policies for dealing with extreme heat and climate change.
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