‘HOT UNDER COLLAR’

Experts point to link between extreme heat and mental health 

by Marlon Madden

Health experts have sounded the alarm about the growing threat to mental health posed by the climate crisis and the sweltering heat.

Researchers shared concerns about the potential consequences of rising temperatures on public well-being at a University of the West Indies (UWI) panel discussion on Friday on Climate, Population and Planetary Health.

UWI Deputy Dean of Research and Graduate Studies Dr Michael Campbell revealed that data now suggests a direct link between extreme heat and acts of violence, including suicide.

He emphasised that these effects are not limited to long-term climate change models but are tangible, observable changes that affect people’s daily lives.

“Heat affects mood; mood disturbances and community mental health are exacerbated by heat,” Dr Campbell explained to the audience in the Errol Walrond Building at the Clinical Skills Complex in Jemmotts Lane, St Michael.

“Suicide rates go up as temperatures go up, and so does violence. Violence of different types – interpersonal violence, crime, but also political violence and cultural violence and political instability and all that is associated, over the long run, with temperature changes. Also interestingly, there is some evidence (of) intense precipitation having an impact on us.”

The mental health consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent, the researchers said.

The terms “eco-anxiety” and “solastalgia” are being used to describe the unease and distress that people feel due to environmental changes. Researchers are investigating how climate change affects the attitudes and experiences of youth aged 16 to 24, impacting their life plans, educational expectations, and overall well-being.

While the region has previously experienced the mental health impacts of climate-related disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, new climate crisis-related phenomena are emerging.

Dr Kenneth Connell, Deputy Dean of Outreach in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, at UWI Cave Hill Campus, pointed out that the seasonal heat is bound to affect mental health and educational outcomes.

He suggested that authorities in the region collect data on how the heat was affecting children in schools and see what changes could be made to how they are taught and gain access to water.

“All those are things that Caribbean societies must now discuss. All of this now is going to spark a lot of mental health issues, which already we saw taking a front line in COVID-19,” said Dr Connell.

“Education design and pedagogy will certainly have to be adopted for the climate. Schools restarted here in Barbados last week and already I know teachers in primary schools are complaining about the heat. Most schools here are not air-conditioned. What about physical activity in a country that is trying to encourage kids to get out there and be active? I mean, can you be active outside when it is sweltering hot?

“There are things we should have done before. For instance, there should be no such thing as a water break. Everyone in the class should have water available for them freely accessible for consumption during the lesson,” he added.

The discussion also raised questions about the impact of extreme heat on the vital tourism industry. Dr Connell questioned whether summer festivals and outdoor activities could remain viable in the face of sweltering temperatures.

“Bearable heat during the day is a thing of the past in the Caribbean,” declared Dr Joy St John, executive director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), as she stressed the need for diversifying the tourism product and retrofitting it to adapt to changing climate conditions.

She called for collaboration across sectors to address the issue and learn from other regions like Dubai, which have successfully managed tourism in hot climates.

Stating that countries needed to employ the “one health approach” in addressing the issue of climate change, Dr St John said: “We have to learn how to collaborate with agriculture, with the environment and with all sorts of sectors.”

“I want us to think about our economy. The Caribbean is one of the most, if not the most, tourism-dependent regions in the world and a lot of that tourism is dependent on sun and fun. That means people pay money to come to the Caribbean and they want to be able to enjoy an outdoor experience.

“A lot of the time it is an outdoor experience with us because they like how we know how to chill, but it is very difficult to chill when it is 39 degrees at 2 p.m. So we will have to think ahead on how to diversify the economy and change the tourism product,” St John recommended.

Adding that the current effects of the climate crisis called for “far-reaching policies” in the region, the former chief medical officer of Barbados said “retrofitting of the tourism product” should be considered.

Dr Heather Harewood, Head of the Public Health Group programme, highlighted the broader implications of climate change on public health, including physical, mental, and economic aspects. She suggested changes to work shifts in high-risk occupations, such as construction and agriculture, and encouraged businesses to adapt to extreme heat.

“From a public health perspective it affects our physical health, our mental health, our psychosocial health and it has economic implications,” she said.

Dr Harewood suggested that businesses look at the possibility of making changes to work shifts in some “higher risk occupations” in order to help workers beat the heat, including those in agriculture, construction and even cooking.

“Do we need to shift working hours a little bit earlier so it is still a bit cool? Do we need to shift the start of work for some businesses and recognise when you are working with machinery as well, that generates heat? Also, people driving buses. So we think it is important to identify high-risk groups so that you can actually target information to them,” the lecturer in public health and epidemiology said.

Friday’s discussion was hosted by three UWI institutes: the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) and the Centre for Biosecurity Studies.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb