Plenty of people report having the wintertime blues, but studies show extreme summer heat can also have negative impacts on mental health.
“Extreme heat — it’s not just a physical story, it’s a mental health story,” said Dr. Lorenzo Norris, the senior associate dean for education and an associate professor of psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
He told WTOP that people are most familiar with winter weather and its effects on mood and mental well-being.
“We definitely know that extreme heat can increase irritability, frustration and anger,” said Norris, adding that research on the effects included a JAMA study that showed an increase in mental health-related visits to emergency departments during hot weather events.
Extreme high temperatures can also increase anxiety, Norris said.
“Heat can also cause a disruption in our sleep. That for me is massive, because sleep disruption can pretty much affect everything,” he said.
Another symptom people may experience on the hottest days of summer, said Norris: “Studies have been shown it can affect your attention, your cognition.”
“All of these things, in and of themselves, can exacerbate mental health conditions,” he said.
When patients notice the negative effects on their mental health, Norris said, they should seek the care of a medical professional.
Norris is eager to help patients recognize the importance of paying attention to heat and its impact on their mental health.
If patients don’t understand that high temperatures can cause or exacerbate those feelings, “We’re not going to take the necessary precautions to make sure that we are practicing good self-care, hydrating ourselves, staying cool, checking on each other,” he said.
Older patients and people with existing mental health conditions are at the highest risk of experiencing those symptoms and seeing them worsen, said Norris.
“First and foremost, if you’re experiencing significant mental health symptoms of any type, you should actually be working to speak with a health professional,” he said, and that could include calling 311 to be connected with local services or calling 911 when needed.
Aside from checking in with a health professional, patients can make sure they have access to cool environments and check their hydration levels.
“Dehydration plus extreme heat is a very big problem and then the third thing is, and I will continue to harp on this, because heat does affect sleep — protect your sleep,” Norris said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
