Scientists unexpectedly determined why people literally started going crazy

Global warming intensifies mental disorders, and this is just the beginning.

A new study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Climate Change raises the alarm: global warming is not only impacting ecosystems and the economy but also the mental health of the population. Scientists are coming to a shocking conclusion — extreme heat doesn't just cause discomfort, it literally destroys human psyche.

A research team from the University of Adelaide conducted a large-scale analysis of the impact of extremely high temperatures on the prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders. The results of the study cause serious concern: already thousands of people annually suffer from exacerbation of anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar affective disorder, and schizophrenia due to abnormal heat. The most vulnerable category turned out to be young people aged fifteen to forty-four.

According to scientists' calculations, in Australia alone, heat annually leads to the loss of more than eight thousand four hundred and fifty years of healthy life (according to the DALY indicator — disability-adjusted life years). This accounts for about one and eight-tenths percent of the total burden of mental illness in the country. The alarming forecast indicates that with continuing temperature increases and longer periods of abnormal heat, this figure could increase by fifty percent by two thousand and fifty.

Other scientific studies confirm: climate change poses a direct threat to human life. According to the most optimistic forecasts for Europe, by the end of the century, about eight thousand people will die annually from the effects of high temperatures. In more unfavorable scenarios, this figure could reach eighty thousand deaths per year — exclusively due to heat.

Rising air temperature turns out to be not just an uncomfortable phenomenon, but a serious risk factor that negatively affects cognitive functions, emotional stability, and human behavior. People already suffering from mental disorders, as well as urban residents who lack access to cool and green areas, are at increased risk.

Psychiatrists and climatologists present a unified position: adapting urban infrastructure and healthcare systems to new climatic conditions is becoming a task of paramount importance, on which depends not only the quality but also the longevity of millions of people around the world.