Record heat and mental health, the experts:«Violent crimes will increase by 5% in 2090 due to climate change»

Heat strokes are not the only illness to pay attention to and defend against during the heat waves

Heat strokes are not the only heat-related physical damage that we need to keep an eye on in these days when the anticyclone Charon makes the mercury rise above 40 degrees.The mind also suffers.Excessive temperatures put the cognitive system into difficulty, essentially making us a little stupider.Not only that:this difficulty in reasoning is linked to an increase in aggression, violence and crime.As if that weren't enough, severe heat increases anxiety levels in those who already suffer from it, as well as exacerbates depressive symptoms, and coincides with an increase in suicide attempts.Thus, while Charon reaches its peak throughout the country, with the North glimpsing the relief of the storms arriving in the next few days, and the South which instead could keep gasping, it is important to also pay attention to the less visible effects of heat.

Reduced cognitive abilities, aggression and crimes

Among the most important effects on mental health is the confusion generated by the heat.This is supported by a study published in the journal Plos Medicine conducted at Boston University.The sample was divided into two groups, one in a room without air conditioning, with an average temperature of 26 degrees and peaks of almost 31, and one in a room at around 21 degrees.For 12 days the young volunteers underwent cognitive tests.The result?Those who were warm were 13% slower than those who were cool.And – he underlines The Conversation – this confusion seems to be at the basis of the greater aggression found in hot periods.There is also numerous evidence linking extreme heat to violent crimes, which can increase by up to 5%, such as cases of sexual violence.According to some estimates, by 2090, violent crime could be 105% of today's crime worldwide.

Mental disorders and drugs that don't work

The problem has to do with serotonin levels - a substance linked to satisfaction, happiness and appetite - which decrease as temperature increases, increasing rates of aggression.On the other hand, reports the Corriere della Sera, the most heinous crimes, but also the banal arguments between motorists, occur to a greater extent in the summer.Added to this is a worsening of bipolar disorders, anxiety attacks (including eco-anxiety), panic attacks and other psychological disorders.The issue is also linked to the loss of effectiveness of some substances that regulate mood, such as lithium, used against bipolarism.Another risk concerns antipsychotics, which especially in the heat risk suppressing the sensation of thirst with particularly serious effects on the elderly and non-self-sufficient people.

The forecasts

Meanwhile, after the temperature records reached yesterday in the Centre-South, such as the 42 degrees in Rome, never seen since the measurements began, they could also reach some areas of the Po Valley, such as Ferrara and Bologna, where temperatures around 40 degrees.Possible 45-46 degrees on Sardinia and Sicily.But at least for the north there is a glimmer of fresh air, with the retreat of the African bubble which should begin on Thursday the 20th.But be careful of thunderstorms.The difference in energy between the warm and cold air mass risks generating strong winds, hailstorms and tornadoes like those seen in Alto Adige and on the Venetian mountains.During Friday the storms should also descend on the Po Valley, remaining there until Saturday morning and then giving way to the sun.Values ​​slightly decreasing in the South, but ready to rise again over the weekend.