As Winters are warm, Swiss researchers reveal how higher temperatures can raise mood, lower stress and prosperity, offering new ideas for the psychological effects of climate change.
Study: Cold season air temperature as a prediction of psychological well -being and mental health. Credit Picture: Nstafeeva / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the magazine Scientific reportsResearchers investigated the effects of hot temperatures on mental health and psychological well -being during the cold season.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 was the warmest. Higher temperatures have multi -level consequences and can occur immediately (eg, acute weather events such as floods or fires) and indirectly (eg, agricultural loss and migration). In addition, high temperatures are reportedly a risk factor for carrier, watershes, nutritional, respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
In addition, various studies have observed correlations between increased environmental temperatures and higher suicides and mental health -related hospitalization. However, only a few studies have explored immediate mental health measures. One study reported correlations between temperatures above 30 ° C and more mental health difficulties than at 10-15 ° C. Another study noted that higher temperatures were associated with more days of poor mental health.
Specifically, these findings are compared with the reports of positive psychological effects of heat and warmth. One study found that countries with warmer temperatures in the coldest month were happier than those with colder temperatures. Another study noted that short exposure to internal temperatures of 22 ° C to 24 ° C was followed by more relational focus than colder temperatures. This raises questions about whether high ambient temperatures have positive psychological effects on cooler conditions.
For the study
The present study explored the correlations between environmental temperature in cold seasons and mental health and psychological well -being. Participants were hired by the Swiss Home Committee, an annual survey conducted since 1999. Researchers used data from the survey of 21 from 2019 and received relevant meteorological data from Meteoswiss, the Federal Bureau of Meteorology and Climate.
The elements of the research evaluated anxiety, loneliness, mood, life satisfaction, self -reported health, optimism, depression, blues, anxiety, power and energy. Multiple polynomial reflux models were created for each dependent variable, incorporating the meteorological variables into three times: on the day of the research, the average of seven days and the average of 14 days.
Meteorological data for the 30 days before the research were also included for variable stress. Various variables, including lifestyle and socio -notice of age, age, body mass index (BMI) and sex, were incorporated into models to control confusion. In addition, bootstrapping was applied to control multiple tests.
Findings
In total, 13,151 people participated in the survey and 8,017 were included for analyzes. The population of the study was 53.2% female and 46.8% man, with average age and BMI 50.9 years and 24.68 kg/m², respectively. Meteorological data included daily records from September 2, 2019 to March 3, 2020, during which the temperature ranges from -6.9 ° C to 22.6 ° C, with an average of 7.5 ° C.
The average relative humidity was 81.4%, ranging between 26.1%and 100%. On average, there were 3.6 hours of sunshine per day, with a maximum of 12.6 hours and at least 0 hours. The sediment ranges between 0 and 86.4 mm per day, with an average of 2.96 mm per day. The reflux models made to predict stress have revealed that the highest average temperatures in the last 14 and 30 days have been associated with reduced levels of stress, which were confirmed by the start.
Models to predict loneliness showed that intermediate average temperatures, with the paper discussion indicating protective effects for outdoor temperatures above 0 ° C and up to 20 ° C, in the last 14 days, have been associated with less loneliness, which was confirmed. Specifically, the models made to predict sadness, anger, joy and anxiety, and those for power, optimism and energy were not significant. Similarly, the models for predicting stress, blues and depression were not important. The document suggests that these zero findings, for example, with regard to influence and optimism, may partly because these aspects have been measured as more stable features that resemble characteristics and not direct emotions associated with recent temperatures.
Models for the prediction of self -reported health showed that intermediate average temperatures, with the paper debate indicating beneficial effects for temperatures above 0 ° C and up to 20 ° C, on the day of the research and in the last 14 days, have been associated with better health. In addition, the highest average temperatures in the last 7 days have also been associated with better self -reported health. Finally, the models to satisfy life have revealed that the intermediate average temperatures, which the paper discussion indicated were between 0 ° C and 10 ° C during the cold season, in the last 7 and 14 days were associated with greater life satisfaction.
Conclusions
Findings show that higher environmental temperatures were associated with lower stress and intermediate temperatures were associated with better life satisfaction, self -reported health and less loneliness. The temperature was not associated with optimism, strength, energy or effect.
Paper also assumes in various potential mechanisms for these observed positive effects, including the effect of skin temperature changes on M-Opiomidal receptors (associated with social connection and thermoregulation), deactivation of brain areas associated with unpleasant senses and senses. Function, sleep quality and commitment to leisure activities.
The study also recognizes certain limitations, such as the use of an element of element for certain psychological variables and the operation of certain structures. Although the recognized results were described on paper so small, they are about the level of the population and shed more light on the effect of climate change on mental health.
