Climate Change Affects Mental Health in Australia

A new study published in Nature in April 2025 found that rising temperatures due to climate change increase mental health disorders across Australia.

This finding comes as Australia is already experiencing more frequent and intense heat waves. According to the 2024 State of the Climate report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Bureau of Meteorology, the country has warmed by 1.5°C since 1910. In recent years, it has faced repeated record-breaking summer temperatures and intense heat events.

The study “Increasing burden of poor mental health attributable to high temperature in Australia” reveals that exposure to high temperatures is expected to increase mental health challenges by nearly 50% by 2050. Young people aged 15 to 44, who often experience mental and behavioural issues early in life, are particularly at risk.

Health data from all states and territories in Australia, covering the years 2003 to 2018, shows that hospitalisations and emergency room visits related to mental and behavioural disorders (MBDs) generally increased during high-temperature events. While these heat waves were rarely fatal for individuals with MBDS, they significantly affected the years spent in good health.

According to the report, high temperatures caused the loss of 8,459 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) between 2003 and 2018. DALYs measure the overall disease burden by combining years lived with illness and years lost due to premature death. The “burden” of mental disorders measures the “impact of living”—combining the years lost to living with ill health, or non-fatal burden, and the years lost due to dying prematurely, or fatal burden.

Heat resulted in an annual loss of over 8,450 healthy life years in Australia, which accounts for approximately 1.8% of the country’s total burden of mental and behavioural disorders.

“The detrimental impacts of climate change on good mental health and emotional states have been increasingly recognised worldwide, and it’s only going to get worse unless we act,” says senior author Peng Bi, an environmental health researcher from the University of Adelaide.

“From mild distress to serious conditions like schizophrenia, rising temperatures are making things harder for millions. Young people, who often face these issues early in life, are especially at risk as the climate crisis worsens,” she adds (Casella, 2025).

The study shows that the impacts of extreme heat are unevenly distributed; the overall burden of mental health issues is higher in Victoria and New South Wales.

The findings contribute to increasing evidence indicating that climate change threatens physical health and mental well-being.

The study indicates that for every 1°C increase in daily mean temperature, there is a 1.3% rise in emergency department visits for suicidal thoughts and behaviours among youth in New South Wales. These findings highlight the urgent need for public health strategies that address the mental health impacts of rising temperatures, particularly for vulnerable groups like young people.

Effective climate adaptation measures, such as improved housing, early warning systems, increased access to cooling, and the creation of green spaces, could help alleviate the mental and behavioural health burdens associated with extreme heat.