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Heat Waves Substantially Increase Mental Health Strain, New Study Reveals
A new report indicates a substantial rise in mental health-related medical care during heat wave periods, with rates 1.6 times higher than during cold waves. the findings underscore the growing, and often overlooked, impact of the climate crisis on psychological well-being, notably among vulnerable populations.
The report, titled ‘Growth of mental health impact analysis and evaluation tool due to climate crisis’ and conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs at the request of the National Mental Health Center of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, analyzed ten years of national health insurance data (2014-2023) to assess the correlation between extreme weather events and mental health service utilization. The study focused on comparing medical care usage during heat waves, cold waves, and othre periods.
Notable Increase in Overall Medical Use
the average monthly use of medical care for mental illness was 109,149 cases during heat waves, exceeding both the cold wave period (105,498 cases) and other periods (108,649 cases) by a significant margin. The number of medical services utilized per person annually reached 3.67 cases during heat waves,a 60% increase compared to cold waves (2.30 cases) and a 27% increase compared to other periods (2.90 cases). Over the past ten years, hospitalizations for mental illness were also more frequent during heat waves, with an average of 395,316 cases per month – 8,462 and 4,910 days more than during cold waves and other periods, respectively. The total cost of nursing care benefits related to mental illness during heat waves reached 27.518 billion won, exceeding costs during cold waves and other periods by 888 million and 341 million won, respectively.
Dementia and Depression See the Largest Increases
While anxiety disorders saw the most frequent medical use during non-heat wave periods, dementia emerged as the condition with the greatest social burden during heat waves, with an average of 30,525 medical uses per month. This represents a 735-case increase compared to cold waves and a 116-case increase compared to other periods.Depression followed, with 15,031 cases, and was identified as the condition exhibiting the largest difference in medical care use between heat waves and other periods.
“Dementia may continue to increase in the future along with the aging population,” the report noted, “pointing to the need for management measures to alleviate the social burden of the disease.”
In terms of personal burden, while schizophrenia and dementia generally impose a higher individual cost, depression demonstrated the most significant increase in personal burden during heat waves. Patients with schizophrenia required an average of 19.32 days of hospitalization and 1.3 million won in care during heat waves, while dementia patients averaged 17.30 days and 1.26 million won. Though, depression visits averaged 32 days and 470,000 won, representing a substantial rise in utilization. Researchers emphasized that while schizophrenia carries a higher baseline burden, the rapid increase in depression cases during heat waves warrants close attention.
young People Increasingly Affected
The study revealed a particularly concerning trend: a disproportionate increase in mental health service utilization among younger generations during heat waves. medical service use per person per year was 1.72 times higher for children and adolescents (6-18 years old), 1.70 times higher for young people (19-34 years old), 1.66 times higher for adults (35-64 years old), and 1.52 times higher for seniors (65 years old or older) during heat wave periods compared to cold wave periods. This trend was consistent across depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia, excluding dementia.
According to mental health experts cited in the report, heat can exacerbate stress, impulsivity, and sensitivity in patients. Furthermore, individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions may experience difficulty regulating body temperature due to their medications, and prolonged illness can lead to diminished sensory and physical function.
Chae Soo-mi, a researcher at the Korea institute for Health and Social Affairs, explained that the study aimed to develop a domestic tool for assessing mental health risks related to the climate crisis, building upon existing evaluation tools developed internationally.
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