As heat waves become more commonplace, evidence is mounting that heat, in addition to severe physical repercussions, can also have profound effects on mental health. Extreme heat has been linked to a higher risk of suicide and can intensify conditions like schizophrenia, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, substance use disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
It can also amplify impulsivity and cause shorter emotional fuses, resulting in tempers that flare more easily. Plus, hot weather often disrupts sleep, which leads to fatigue and foggy thinking. Alcohol, recreational drugs, and some psychiatric medications—including antidepressants, tranquilizers and antipsychotics—can also exacerbate heat’s mental health effects.
If the heat is indeed messing with your mental health, you might notice changes that feel out of character. You could feel more irritable, anxious or emotionally on edge than usual, or you may find yourself snapping at things that normally wouldn’t bother you. If you’re already managing a mental health condition, you may notice a flare-up in symptoms.
Here’s a few telltale signs that the heat might be getting to your head.
Heat and Mental Health: Signs You Might be Affected
You’re moodier than usual
Feel extra cranky lately? The heat could be turning up your impatience alongside the temperature. Anxiety, irritability, and even feelings of hopelessness tend to rise along with the mercury.
Focus, where art thou?
Can’t think straight or finish a sentence, let alone a task? Hot weather can disrupt your concentration and make even simple to-dos feel monumental.
Sleep is spotty
If you are tossing and turning through sweaty nights, you’re not alone. Heat diminishes sleep quality, and when you don’t rest well, your mood and mental resilience can take a hit.
Your body feels off
Headaches, dizziness, fatigue and nausea can indicate that your body is vulnerable to extreme heat. These low-grade symptoms can feed into anxiety, low mood, or that general “ugh” feeling that’s difficult to shake.
It’s hard to hold it together
If everything feels too much, like you’re walking around under pressure you can’t quite name, that might be heat stress talking. When your body’s overheating, your brain sounds the alarm too. The heat could be pushing you past your usual coping threshold.
The Effects of Heat on Mental Health
That heat can have such a major impact on your sanity is not merely anecdotal. A major U.S. study found that emergency room visits for mental health reasons jump by 8 percent on the hottest summer days. The rise was most noticeable in regions that don’t usually get as hot and where air conditioning isn’t standard, such as the Midwest, Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
Another study showed that every 1.8°F increase in temperature was linked to a 2.2 percent rise in mental health-related deaths. People over 65, those living in hotter climates and individuals with substance use disorders were especially vulnerable.
Heat-related hospitalizations for bipolar disorder are also reported more frequently during especially warm days. Higher temps and longer sunlight exposure can interfere with sleep and body rhythms, both potential triggers for manic or depressive episodes.
And while seasonal depression usually gets linked with winter, a subset of folks struggle just as much—or more—in summer. People with the summer version of the disorder tend to report weight loss, loss of appetite and insomnia. Researchers believe there might be a chemical link owing to the fact that the same neurotransmitters that regulate mood also help regulate body temperature.
Here are a few other issues to be aware of that extreme heat can intensify:
Heat can worsen inequities
Not everyone has the same ability to escape the heat. People in low-income neighborhoods often live in “urban heat islands,” areas with less tree cover, more asphalt and fewer air-conditioned public spaces. These same communities already face higher levels of stress, under-resourced healthcare and greater mental health stigma. Add chronic heat exposure, and you’ve got a perfect storm of mental and physical health risks.
Cognitive function drops
Research has shown that even healthy young adults experience measurable cognitive decline during heat waves. One Harvard study found students in dorms without air conditioning performed significantly worse on basic cognitive tests compared to peers in cooler dorms. Note to self: Your brain on heat is slower, foggier and more error-prone. For someone already living with mental illness, that baseline drop can be serious.
People with certain medications are especially vulnerable
Many psychiatric medications—like antipsychotics, SSRIs and stimulants—can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature or sense thirst. That means someone on these meds might not realize they’re overheating or dehydrated until it’s too late.
Aggression can increase
Studies have linked extreme heat to increases in violent behavior, including domestic violence, road rage and homicide. One theory? When your body’s stressed and your sleep is wrecked, your threshold for frustration shrinks. Additionally, certain neurochemical changes (like reduced serotonin) might make people more reactive.
Outdoor workers face higher risk
Farmworkers, construction crews, delivery drivers and anyone laboring in the sun are already physically strained. Add the mental toll of fatigue, poor sleep and chronic stress and you’ve got a dire work environment. In these settings, heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s an occupational hazard for emotional burnout and psychological strain.
Climate anxiety is a rising factor
Even if you’re sitting inside a well-air-conditioned room, there’s a different kind of heat-related mental stress bubbling up: eco-distress. Knowing the planet is cooking, hearing about climate disasters and feeling helpless about it all can lead to a unique kind of climate-related anxiety, particularly among younger generations. It’s a growing psychological concern, and can add the emotional toll and physical burden of heat.
Tips for managing extreme heat
You can’t control the weather. But you can take steps to protect your mental well-being when the heat hits hard.
Stay cool
Avoid being outside during the hottest hours—typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you don’t have AC, find a public place that does—libraries, malls or designated cooling centers.
Hydrate
Skip the booze and caffeinated drinks. Stick to drinking water, especially if you’re on meds that increase dehydration risk.
Stick to your treatment plan
If you’re managing a mental health condition, now’s not the time to go rogue. Keep taking your meds, attending therapy and checking in with your healthcare provider. If your symptoms shift, let them know—you might need an adjustment during extreme weather.
Reach out
Talk to someone—whether it’s a friend, therapist or crisis line. Don’t white-knuckle your way through a mental health slump. Help is out there.
Heat impacts your mood, focus, sleep and stability. As temperatures rise, we all need to take the churn of mental health just as seriously as sunburn. Pay attention to your mental well-being. If you are start to feel isolated or out of sorts, take steps to connect with others as well as find creative ways to cool yourself off.
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