In the NewsNational PostOctober 15, 2018

Global warming will drive up suicide rates, study warns: ‘Heat profoundly affects the human mind’

Ferocious storms and more frequent weather extremes will affect the human psyche in costly ways, some scientists predict, from more depression and anxiety to increased suicide rates. Scorching heat waves are a particular worry. One working theory is that some of the same neurotransmitters used by the brain to regulate the body’s temperature are also used to control emotions. The more neurotransmitters needed to cool the body, the less available to suppress emotions like aggression, impatience or violence. This story cites research co-authored by Lab's Solomon Hsiang, of the University of California, Berkeley. "[V]irtually everywhere around the world we’re facing warmer temperatures, and there is a lot of evidence of direct effects of warming on mental health," Lab's Tamma Carleton of University of Chicago adds.