Australian study links extreme heat to rising youth mental health hospitalizations

Sydney — Extreme heat sharply increases the risk of hospital admissions for mental health conditions among young people, according to a large Australian study that researchers say highlights a growing public health threat linked to climate change.

The study, led by the University of Sydney, examined 720,000 hospital admissions in New South Wales involving people up to age 24 between 2001 and 2022.

Researchers found that when temperatures reached the top 1 percent of recorded levels, the risk of mental health-related hospital admissions doubled during warmer months and tripled during cooler months.

“Climate change is already impacting children and young people’s mental health in multiple ways,” said study co-author Cybele Dey, an adolescent psychiatrist with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, according to The Guardian Australia.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, projected that heat-related mental health admissions could rise by 6 percent to 7.7 percent by the end of the century as global temperatures increase.

The analysis captured only the most severe cases requiring hospitalization, including depression, schizophrenia, substance misuse, eating disorders and self-harm. It did not include emergency department visits or outpatient care.

Researchers said the rapid increase in admissions after extreme heat events suggests a possible physiological response. They cited potential factors including sleep disruption, stress, altered brain function, increased impulsivity and alcohol or other substance use.

The findings underscore the need to include mental health risks in heat-health planning and public policy, researchers said. (Source: IANS)