Researchers are calling on policymakers to act quickly on climate change
Key Takeaways:
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A new Australian study finds that extreme heat can increase the burden of mental health and behavior disorders.
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Using data from the Australian Burden of Disease database, and data on average temperatures across the continent, the researchers determined what the future burden of mental health conditions will look like moving forward.
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The researchers are encouraging policymakers to address climate change as soon as possible to ensure optimal physical and mental health outcomes for citizens.
A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide explored how extreme heat can be detrimental to consumers mental health.
According to their findings, consistently rising temperatures across the continent could increase the prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders (MBD) as soon as the 2030s; by 2050, the risk of mental health disorders could reach nearly 50%.
"The detrimental impacts of climate change on good mental health and emotional states have been increasingly recognised worldwide, and it's only going to get worse unless we act," said lead author Professor Peng Bi, from the Universitys School of Public Health.
The study
The researchers analyzed data from the Australian Burden of Disease database, which analyzes the burden of disease in terms of years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted years of life.
For this study, the researchers looked specifically at the average disease burden of mental and behavioral disorders across Australia. They also analyzed temperature for over 2,300 regions across Australia.
From there, the team projected what average daily temperatures will look like in Australia in the next five to 20 years.
Location matters
One of the biggest findings from the study was that location played a key role in mental health outcomes. Regions that get the most heat, like the Northern Territory, were more likely to have more extreme heat, and residents were predicted to experience more mental health conditions.
However, the Southern Territory and Victoria showed a significant link between mental health conditions directly related to increased temperatures.
The impact of heat
Between 2003 and 2018, high temperatures were responsible for 8,458 disability-adjusted life years in Australia. This figure represents nearly 2% of the total mental and behavioral disorder burden across the continent. Based on the researchers findings, these numbers are only expected to increase over time.
Should no progress be made in terms of climate change, the burden of MBDs attributable to high temperatures is likely to increase as soon as the 2030s. The researchers project an increase of MBD burden to be between 11 and 17.2% in the 2030s; by 2050, that estimate jumps to 48.9%.
As a result, the team is urging policymakers to tackle the issue of climate change as soon as possible.
"Policymakers must step up with targeted, people-centered strategies to protect mental health as temperatures climb," said Professor Bi. This isn't just about health it's about building stronger, more resilient communities for the future.
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Posted: 2025-04-14 21:10:20
