Heat-health plans overlook mental health risks
As climate change fuels more frequent and severe heat waves, governments worldwide have adopted Heat-Health Action Plans (HHAPs) to prevent illness and death from heat stroke, heart attacks, and other unwanted physical and mental health outcomes. Yet a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveals a critical gap in these plans: while most acknowledge mental health risks, such as heightened anxiety, depression, and suicide, few propose concrete interventions to protect vulnerable populations.
According to one estimate, exposure to heatwaves globally has doubled ...