Rising temperatures and heatwaves are linked to poorer mental health outcomes among children and young people, according to a new Australian-led review published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The study found that for children, adverse mental health outcomes increased by almost 1 percent for every 1-degree Celsius rise in daily temperature, according to a statement from News.
Vulnerability of Children and Young People
The review analyzed data from 23 global studies to examine the relationship between heatwaves, temperature, and mental health. The findings indicate that children aged 5 to 18 years are the most vulnerable demographic. Specifically, the risk of poor mental health outcomes increased by 1.5 percent in higher temperatures and by 25 percent during heatwaves.
Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens, an epidemiologist at Flinders University and co-author of the study, stated that climate is driving more severe and frequent heatwaves and high temperatures globally and within Australia. Stephens noted that these trends pose increasing public health risks. She explained that children are particularly susceptible because high temperatures can disrupt recreation, education, outdoor activities, and sleep. Additionally, heat-related stress experienced by families and parents may impact the wellbeing of children.
Impact on Public Health and Emergency Services
The modeling used in the review showed that heatwaves and high temperatures led to increases in suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, and emergency visits, according to study co-author Professor Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University. Bradshaw stated that these results support the need to develop targeted interventions for young people and to integrate mental health into climate adaptation efforts.
Researchers suggested several practical responses to mitigate these risks, including:
- Improved ventilation in buildings
- The use of cooler classrooms
- The creation of shaded outdoor spaces
Broader Environmental Impacts on Child Development
While the Flinders University review focused on mental health, separate research has linked rising temperatures to physical health and nutrition. An international study led by the University of Vermont, published in Environmental Research Letters, found that higher temperatures are already contributing to malnutrition and lower quality diets among children.
The University of Vermont researchers analyzed the micronutrient intake and diet quality of 107,000 children. They concluded that climate change has an impact on child malnutrition that is equal to or greater than the impacts of unsanitary conditions, poor education, and poverty. The study examined children aged five and under across 19 countries, finding significant reductions in diet quality related to higher temperatures in five of the six represented regions across South America, Africa, and Asia.
Meredith Niles, an assistant professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences and research fellow in the University’s Gund Institute for Environment, said the finding that higher temperatures are already showing an impact was surprising. The researchers noted that a lack of critical micronutrients—including zinc, folic acid, iron, and vitamins D and A—can cause malnutrition, which affects one out of every three children under age five.
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