Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders

Effect of extreme weather

Mental illness is one of the major causes of suffering in the United States, and extreme weather events can affect mental health in several ways.

Following disasters, mental health problems increase, both among people with no history of mental illness, and those at risk. It is a phenomenon known as “common reactions to abnormal events.” These reactions may be short-lived or long-lasting.

For example, research demonstrated high levels of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder among people affected by Hurricane Katrina, and similar observations have followed floods and heat waves.

Some evidence suggests wildfires have similar effects. All of these events are increasingly fueled by climate change. Other health consequences of intensely stressful exposures that are also a concern include:

• Pre-term birth
• Low birth weight
• Maternal complications

Effect of temperature

Patients with mental illness are especially susceptible to heat. Suicide rates fluctuate with weather, increasing in high temperatures. It indicates potential climate change impacts on depression and mental health.

Dementia is a risk factor for hospitalization and death during heat waves. Hot weather poses a risk for patients with severe mental illness like schizophrenia, as medications may affect temperature regulation or induce hyperthermia.

Less-understood mental health impacts include distress from environmental degradation and displacement. Anxiety or despair due to awareness of climate change can also occur.

CDC resources

• Mental Health – information, data, and tools/resources on mental health topics
• Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event – resources for children, state and local governments, community leaders, and emergency responders
• NIOSH Traumatic Incident Stress – guidance for emergency workers involved in response activities