City of Philadelphia
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A new study from researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found racial and ethnic disparities in pre- and early adolescent exposure to extreme heat, as well as a small but significant association between extreme heat and specific behavioral symptoms like aggression. The study was recently published in the journal JAACAP Open, the open-access journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
In past years, areas across the United States have seen an increasing number of days with extreme heat, defined as temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit (38.2 Celsius). Given prior research linking climate change to the ongoing youth mental health crisis, researchers sought to further understand the relationship between extreme heat and externalizing symptoms, such as aggression, in pre- and early adolescents.
“Our findings support the importance of investigating the contribution of extreme heat to escalating youth mental health issues,” said Ran Barzilay, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and a psychiatrist with the Youth Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Research Center at CHOP. “Generating data on the relationship between climate change and mental health early in the lifespan is crucial to inform policies because mental health problems in early adolescence may precede impaired functioning and lower wellbeing in adulthood.”
