Kristin Holmes, a licensed marriage and family therapist at the Harris Mental Health Center, said when heat keeps people from doing normal activities, it can take a toll on a person’s mental health.
“Mental health symptoms can be exacerbated by excessive heat,” Holmes said. “Sometimes people isolate themselves and stay indoors, don’t see friends as much, and simply stop being active because of the heat.”
Intense heat can also increase mood swings, irritability, and bouts of road rage.
“When the temperatures rise, people get upset,” Holmes said.
While mental health issues caused by extreme heat aren’t clinically diagnosed as actual disorders like seasonal affective disorder, researchers are trying to understand how temperature impacts mental health.
As global temperatures rise to unprecedented levels, understanding the psychological and physical effects of extreme heat is a burgeoning area of research, according to a 2023 study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Research has found that high temperatures activate the body’s stress response, increasing levels of stress hormones and can lead to feelings of anxiety and discomfort.
Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can trigger emotional responses such as frustration and impatience that can lead to interpersonal conflicts during heatstroke. High temperatures can also disrupt sleep patterns, negatively impacting mental health and leading to decreased motivation.
According to the study, “the physiological stress of high temperature can deplete energy levels, reduce enthusiasm and decrease participation in social, work and leisure activities.”
Many studies have also found a correlation between aggressive driving and extreme heat.
Lee Richardson, director of the Brain Performance Center in Dallas, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper last summer that heat increases brain activity, putting people in a “fight-flight-freeze cycle and threatening their psychological safety” while driving.
“When we feel threatened, we become more impulsive and reactive. Getting into a 108-degree car at the end of a long day and thinking about the errands you need to run on the way home can be excruciating, and the heat can make you exhausted,” Richardson told The Guardian. “If someone cuts you off in the road or won’t let you change lanes, our brains immediately switch to the fight cycle and we respond with agitation.”
Holmes employs a strategy he calls the “rule of five” when working with patients who are experiencing mood swings or anger.
“Is this issue going to be an issue in the next five minutes? The next five days? The next five years? A lot of times the answer is, ‘No, leave it alone,'” Holmes said.
Aside from seeking professional help, Holmes advised her clients to plan their activities before or after the hottest parts of the day, keep activities indoors, make use of cooling centres and stay hydrated.
