That kind that takes a certain amount of cognitive effort to manage,” Clayton said.
“Aggression research is also based on experimental manipulations of heat,” Clayton explains.
“These little ways in which people are unkind to each other or aggressive to each other — we see those increase under higher temperatures,” she added.
“That can mean something as simple as don’t go outside when it’s really, really hot,” she said.
“In terms of adapting to higher temperatures, we really need a societal-level response,” Clayton said.
Heat waves are hitting people across the country — and the world — this summer. As you look for ways to physically cool down, experts say it’s also important to keep an eye on your mental health as well.
Peer-reviewed studies have shown emergency hospital visits for mental health issues go up in extreme heat. One study analyzing medical records of 2.2 million people in the United States showed there was an 8% increase in these emergency room visits when temperatures were in the top 5%.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™. Point phone camera here
There’s pretty good evidence as well that higher temperatures are associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety, as well as some evidence that they also lead to increased substance abuse problems, Susan Clayton, a psychology professor at the College of Wooster in Ohio, told Straight Arrow.
There are different reasons for this.
“It just makes people more uncomfortable, more stressed. That kind that takes a certain amount of cognitive effort to manage,” Clayton said. “if you’re busy thinking about how uncomfortable you are and how you wish you were elsewhere, you maybe don’t have enough attention span to be thinking about being nice to people, or it can be an additional source of energy that reduces your ability to deal with other other conflicts or other issues you might be facing, such as your own current state of mental ill health.”
For someone who’s already feeling a little depressed, but at a level they can manage, Clayton said, the heat can add an extra source of stress that pushes them over the top.
“I would say that’s probably one of the things that happens there,” she said. “It’s like the last straw on the camel’s back, just one more source of difficulty.”
People cool themselves with an ice-cold water bottle from a water station during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 2, 2026 in Washington, DC. The heat wave, stretching from the Midwest to East Coast, is affecting as many as 90 million Americans. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Some medications people take to treat mental illness can also interfere with their ability to regulate body temperature. Those who take antidepressants, anxiety medications or antipsychotic drugs are more likely to experience heat intolerance, as it can make it difficult for them to know when they are dehydrated.
Certain neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, that are involved in mood regulation are also involved in thermoregulation, Kelly Rohan, a clinical psychologist at the University of Vermont who studies seasonal affective disorder, said in an article by the American Psychological Association.
“So maybe there is some dysfunction in one or more of those neurotransmitter systems that confers a risk of depression, as well as the inability to tolerate heat and humidity,” she said.
Experts don’t see these issues going away — and even warn they may get worse as the planet gets warmer.
This, in turn, can lead to another issue: climate anxiety.
“Especially to the extent that you think, ‘Oh, it’s hot. This is part of climate change’ — it can increase your level of anxiety about the overall phenomenon of climate change,” Clayton said.
Heightened aggressiveness in the heat
Along with exacerbating mental illnesses, people’s aggressiveness goes up when it’s hot — and not just outdoors.
“Aggression research is also based on experimental manipulations of heat,” Clayton explains. “So you can put people in a room and raise the temperature and see if they respond more aggressively to certain stimuli.”
When it is super warm outside, people may act on impulse and on their own anger more than usual, affecting social relations and how they manage their interactions with each other.
Clayton said there’s evidence that shows faster, instinctive emotional responses happen in the heat.
“If you’re really hot and that’s taking up some of your cognitive energy, it’s harder to think about all the different possible ways to respond,” Clayton said.
For instance, she said, people may find themselves more likely to honk in traffic, or think that someone who bumped into them in the street did it on purpose and push them back.
“These little ways in which people are unkind to each other or aggressive to each other — we see those increase under higher temperatures,” she added.
How to deal with the heat
While Clayton acknowledges that it can be hard to manage one’s physiological or cognitive processes, we can manage our behavior.
“That can mean something as simple as don’t go outside when it’s really, really hot,” she said. “Find a shady place. Find a cooling center. Wear different clothes. Carry a fan. Put cold cloths on your head. Drink cold beverages, don’t drink too much alcohol.”
Still, though, this can be easier for some people than others, such as those living in poverty or dealing with homelessness. Certain populations, such as the elderly or young children, are more vulnerable in heat as well.
“In terms of adapting to higher temperatures, we really need a societal-level response,” Clayton said. “We need to think about providing ways for people to escape the heat when it gets really hot.”
Round out your reading
