Heat waves are \u201cincreasing in frequency and intensity,\u201d per the study, which defined a heat wave as a period with daily mean temperatures above the location-specific 97.5th percentile for at least four consecutive days.<\/p>\n
The findings \u201cindicate that prolonged extreme heat can acutely increase mental health-related hospital demand and support targeted preparedness during severe heat waves,\u201d the authors wrote.<\/p>\n
The release specifically called out intense high temperatures this month in the United States and Europe.<\/p>\n
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A woman walks through a water feature spraying a fine mist during hot weather in Dover, England, Wednesday July 8, 2026. | Gareth Fuller, Associated Press <\/p>\n
Researchers found the high temperatures over time \u201cmay trigger acute exacerbations of mental and behavioral disorders through sleep disruption and physiological stress responses, with heightened vulnerability among individuals with impaired thermoregulation or medication-related heat sensitivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s well-known that as people get older, their bodies may not regulate their internal temperatures as well as they did when someone was younger. And older adults are also more likely to be on medications, including those that can make someone sensitive to heat, which could account for the finding that older adults are at elevated risk.<\/p>\n
The researchers said this study is the first to estimate heat-wave-related hospitalization and \u201cburdens for mental health and behavioral disorders across different countries, sex, ages, GDP per capita, population densities, air-conditioner penetrations, travel time to healthcare facilities and causes of mental health and behavior disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heat and the brain<\/p>\n
The American Psychological Association in 2024 published a journal cover story<\/a> on the impact heat has on mental health. The article noted an \u201curgent\u201d need for policy and infrastructure changes to protect mental health.<\/p>\n While physical consequences of extreme heat are well-known \u2014 including dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death at the more extreme ends \u2014 psychological consequences are less so. They range, the article said, \u201cfrom irritability to impulsivity to trouble concentrating. The impacts can put already-vulnerable people in crisis during heat waves but may also lead to general mental health impacts and increased friction within society.\u201d <\/p>\n
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People jump from a bridge into the Canal Saint-Martin to cool off during an extreme heat wave in Paris, Sunday, July 12, 2026. | Michel Euler, Associated Press <\/p>\n