How extreme weather affects your mood
Those who were caught unprepared by storms this month – or got sunburnt during that record-breaking hot spell in February – are all too aware of weather extremes. It doesn’t, however, mean we’re getting used to them.
Katie Hayes and colleagues at the universities of Toronto and Melbourne, amalgamating the results of a number of studies, found extreme weather can trigger clinical levels of depression and anxiety, as well as PTSD, grief reactions and survivor guilt. In another review, Jyotsana Shukla at the University of Lucknow reported significantly increased incidents of anxiety, PTSD, depression and phobias as the result of conditions including severe flooding, drought, tsunamis, hurricanes and heatwaves.
Flooding and hurricanes seem particularly traumatic. For example, Sylvia Tunstall and colleagues at Middlesex University interviewed residents in 30 locations across England and Wales just after floods struck. Two thirds had significantly elevated scores on the General Health Questionnaire, a screening tool to identify common psychiatric disorders. For some, the effects became long-term mental health problems.
Arthur Whaley at the University of Texas reported a 20-35 per cent rate of psychological distress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Among children and adolescents, however, the rates were even higher, at around 50 per cent, according to Joy Osofsky at Louisiana State University.
Children are not the only group who seem particularly vulnerable. In 2015, Richard Horton and Helena Wang, editors of The Lancet, looked at the relationship between extreme heat and rates of admission to psychiatric hospitals. As the temperature increases, rates of admission – particularly among those suffering psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders – also rise. Craig Anderson at Iowa State University suggests extreme heat is also associated with increased aggressive behaviour.
What can we do to prepare for the psychological consequences of extreme weather?
Simply informing the public that such events are now more likely and warning of a need to be prepared is not a good idea on its own, as Julia Becker at Massey University noted. Such campaigns raised awareness (and levels of worry), but the warnings didn’t significantly increase preparedness.
Instead, Becker urges relevant authorities to suggest specific measures to help individuals feel more prepared. Osofsky wants schools to teach resilience, the ability to bounce back and find good outcomes in spite of serious threats.
According to Carol Dweck at Stanford University and author of Mindset, this is something we can all learn.
Finally, when extreme weather strikes, those who suffer psychological consequences should be able to access help easily, with adequate numbers of professionals on hand to offer CBT, group therapy and/or grief counselling.