In June, record-breaking heat waves swept across the United States. Since then, the hot weather has not departed the Northern Plains and Midwest with multiple days this week over 100 degrees. You may be feeling uncomfortable, foggy, cranky, angry and/or stressed from the summer heat. Turns out you’re not alone. Exposure to hot summer temperatures may worsen mental health and exacerbate mental illness symptoms leading to an increase in mental health-related crises and emergency room visits.
Nearly one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year and, like mental health concerns/illness, heat does not discriminate. Extreme weather, including heat waves, is becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change. Extreme heat has been associated with a range of mental health impacts, including increases in irritability, symptoms of depression and suicide. It can also affect behavior, contributing to increased aggression, incidences of domestic violence and substance use to cope with stress. Sleep difficulties associated with extreme heat can also contribute to and further exacerbate mental health symptoms.
Providers need to think about how the weather is impacting their clients/patients and encourage them to take precautions to deal with the effects of heat waves and other increasingly common extreme weather events. If your clients/patients need a place to cool off, you can recommend any of Johnson County's 14 library branches during their hours of operations.
Ultimately, as the frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change increases, we need to identify the populations most vulnerable to heat waves and help them find connections to care and safe shelter; people with mental illness are more likely to live in poverty or to have co-occurring chronic illnesses or substance use disorders, making them more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. On days of extreme heat, we must take the precautions necessary to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Some ways to do that include:
- Checking on neighbors or family members who may be susceptible to the health impacts of heat exposure
- Drinking lots of water
- Limiting exposure outside
- Getting plenty of rest and being aware of what your body is telling you
- Being aware of heat or air quality advisories
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You can sign up to receive weather-related alerts through NotifyJoCo and turn on wireless emergency alerts on your mobile devices which can be done in your settings
Stay safe, stay cool and take care of yourself and your loved ones – including pets!
