Exposure to cold and heat could affect adolescents’ mental health

Exposure to cold and heat could affect adolescents’ mental health, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation. The research, conducted on nearly 5,000 adolescents from the Netherlands (3,934) and Spain (885), highlights how exposure to climate-related temperature influences psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and attention problems. The findings were recently published in JAMA Network Open.

The study analysed data from two large European birth cohorts: the Generation R Study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and the INMA Project in Spain (Guipuzkoa, Sabadell and Valencia). Researchers assessed daily ambient temperatures at the participants’ homes during three different time periods up to two months prior to evaluating psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms, including internalizing problems (related to, for example, anxiety and depression), externalizing problems (aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour) and attention problems, were assessed using a standardized questionnaire completed by the adolescents’ mothers.

The data analysis showed that in the Dutch cohort, exposure to cold was associated with an increase in internalizing problems, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. For example, a two-month cumulative exposure to temperatures around 5.5°C led to a significant increase in scores for internalizing problems.

On the other hand, the results from the Spanish cohort showed that exposure to heat was linked to more attention problems. Adolescents exposed to an average temperature of 21.7°C over two months had significantly higher scores for attention problems. These findings suggest that adolescents’ mental health can be sensitive to moderate temperature changes, with distinct effects observed in colder and warmer regions.

“The fact that we didn’t find any association with cold in adolescents from Spain or with heat in participants from the Netherlands might suggest that a more prolonged exposure to low or high temperatures is required to observe these effects”, explains Mònica Guxens, ICREA Research Professor at ISGlobal and senior author of the study.

A Growing Public Health Concern

Psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and attention problems, affect about one in seven adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 worldwide. Climate change, with its increasing frequency of extreme temperatures, may exacerbate these conditions, particularly in vulnerable populations such as adolescents.

Exposure to cold can trigger “thermoregulatory responses” such as vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), which can disrupt normal body temperature and brain function, leading to internalizing problems.

Heat exposure can increase stress hormones (cortisol) and inflammation markers, while impairing brain cooling and oxygenation. This can affect focus and concentration, contributing to attention problems or irritability. High night-time temperatures can also interfere with sleep, making attention problems even worse.

Finally, both cold and heat can cause physical discomfort, which negatively affects mood and emotional well-being, contributing to psychiatric symptoms.

“Further research across diverse climates is needed to better understand how temperature variations can influence mental health”, adds Esmée Essers, ISGlobal researcher and lead author of the study.

“Understanding how climate factors affect mental health helps build knowledge to better protect vulnerable groups, especially adolescents”, concludes Guxens. "Considering mental health in climate action policies could enhance these efforts".

Reference

Essers E, Kusters M, Granés L, Ballester J, Petricola S, Lertxundi A, Vrijheid M, El Marroun H, Iñiguez C, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Temperature Exposure and Psychiatric Symptoms in Adolescents From 2 European Birth Cohorts, Jama Network Open, 2025;8(1):e2456898. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.56898