Seasonal Affective Disorder exists in the summertime too

In attempts to better understand the impact of heat on human moods and behaviours, researchers at the University of Southern California analysed crime rates during particularly hot days. The 2019 study revealed that violent crime increased by up to 5.7 percent on days with temperatures higher than 85 degrees F (29.4 C).

Additional studies on the link between heat and violence were conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Assessing 13 years of data, researchers found that instances of domestic violence and sexual violence spiked in line with rising temperatures, both in public and private settings.

Interestingly, this heat aggression doesn’t just impact in-person reactions.

One study looked at rates of online hate speech on Twitter/X and found that it increases during extreme weather, both hot and cold. Its researchers then suggested that across various climatic and socioeconomic subgroups, humans are ill-equipped to cope with temperature extremes.

Together, the growing body of psychological and sociological research into the effects weather has on human social behaviour is building an important case for ramping up climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Read our award winning article on the link between climate change fueled heat and gun violence.

As our planet grapples with the consequences of climate change and the excessive summer heat it is causing, a lesser-known repercussion is coming to light.https://t.co/Udw5Q9Y6yS pic.twitter.com/QBvfZbbRO8

— New York Amsterdam News (@NYAmNews) May 6, 2024

We are currently witnessing erratic and extreme weather rapidly become the norm across the globe.

Before it was even ‘officially’ summer this year, numerous states in the US saw temperatures soaring well beyond 35 degrees. Deaths caused by heatwaves ticked up in places such as India, Thailand, and Mexico.

In Saudi Arabia, more than 1,300 people died during this year’s pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites, known as Hajj. Temperatures reached an unthinkable 51 degrees, with the Saudi government reportedly treating 500,000 participants for heatstroke.

Tragedy strikes at Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia 🕊️ At least 1,301 lives lost due to intense heat and lack of permits 💔 Most victims were unauthorized pilgrims who braved the scorching heat without proper shelter 🌡️ #HajjTragedy #SaudiArabia #Heatwave #Pilgrimage pic.twitter.com/Ggg6kFgM91

— Joel kabuya Kumuamba (@KabuyaAttorney) June 24, 2024

It’s clear that future large-scale events – and the infrastructure of all countries in general – should be thinking of climate-smart solutions and planning, as heatwaves surpass hurricanes and floods to become the deadliest weather phenomenon of the last 30 years.

Opportunities to drink water, shelter from the sun, and cool off can dramatically decrease the toll that extreme heat has on our mental and physical wellbeing. For those suffering with SAD in the summer, simple measures like blackout curtains, regular breaks from the sun, and releasing social pressures to live it up all summer, and speaking to a professional can help.

Although last year may have been the hottest ever recorded on planet Earth, there’s still time for this year to surpass those measurements. If it doesn’t happen now, it’s more than likely that coming years will break new heat records.

How well prepared we are for that – mentally and physically – will depend on how much thought, planning, and energy we’ve dedicated to climate adaptation.