Adelaide, Australia — The mental health impacts of climate change are expected to intensify significantly, with a new study projecting a sharp rise in mental and behavioral disorders linked to increasing temperatures.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide’s School of Public Health have found that the burden of mental health conditions in Australia could increase by nearly 50% by the year 2050, largely due to the escalating effects of global warming, according to a report by ABC News.
Lead author Professor Peng Bi emphasized the urgency of the findings, warning that without swift intervention, the psychological toll of climate change will continue to mount.
“If no action is taken, the effects of climate change on mental health are only going to get worse,” Professor Bi told ABC. “From mild emotional distress to severe psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, rising temperatures are worsening outcomes for millions.”
The study revealed that between 2003 and 2018, extreme heat contributed to an annual loss of 8,459 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across Australia. DALYs are a standard public health metric used by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to quantify the years of healthy life lost due to illness or premature death.
The research underscores the growing need for mental health policies that factor in the environmental stressors brought about by a warming climate, particularly as Australia continues to experience record-breaking heatwaves and shifting weather patterns.
