Louisiana’s hot, sticky nights with temperatures above 70 degrees have a measurable impact on residents’ mental health, a study adds to a growing body of research on the link between heat and psychological health.
In a peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in the journal PLOS Mental Health, researchers who analyzed nearly 12,000 calls to Louisiana’s 988 suicide hotline found that suicide calls increased by 19% after the 90th percentile of heat nights, 55% after the 95th percentile night, and 166% after the hottest night.
The researchers used percentiles rather than fixed temperatures to define “extreme” heat relative to typical temperatures in each parish. A “hot night” in the study generally means overnight temperatures in the low to mid 70s in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette, and in the mid to upper 60s in Shreveport, reflecting the 90th percentile of typical temperatures for each region.
The findings represent some of the latest research linking heat and the mental health crisis. Studies across the United States and abroad have linked high temperatures to suicide deaths, emergency room visits due to suicidal behavior, violent crime, and domestic violence.
Researchers say Louisiana, with its humid subtropical climate and rising nighttime temperatures, is an example of how heat can take a toll on both the body and mind.
“This is consistent with what we’ve seen in the extensive literature,” said Mostafizur Rahman, an environmental health researcher at Tulane University who has studied the relationship between temperature and mental health. He was not involved in the Louisiana analysis. “The strongest effects are often related to nighttime temperatures.”
hot night
The Louisiana study looked at 11,684 crisis hotline risk assessments conducted from 2019 to 2023 by VIA LINK, a nonprofit organization that operates 988 suicide and crisis lifelines in the state. Researchers investigated whether suicide-related calls increased on the day of extreme temperatures and up to two days afterward.
The strongest association was at night, not with scorching temperatures during the day.
“When it’s hot all night, you can’t get any rest,” says Sophia Ryan, lead author of the study and a geographer at UNC-Chapel Hill who studies climate and mental health. “I don’t have a chance to cool down.”
Ryan said callers didn’t necessarily say the heat was a stressor. However, they did talk about sleep problems and having fewer plans for the future.
Researchers found that children make phone calls even more frequently than adults. During heat waves, typical social events such as sports practices may be canceled or suspended, further increasing feelings of isolation, Ryan said.
heat as a warning
The discovery comes as Louisiana continues to battle intensifying heat. Research shows that while maximum daytime temperatures have not risen dramatically in recent decades, minimum temperatures, or nighttime heat, have steadily increased since 2000.
A heatwave could serve as a warning signal as Louisiana enters another sweltering summer, research suggests.
“This is a predictable increase in demand,” Ryan said. “If you know we’re going to have a week of very hot nights, it may be time to consider additional personnel or support.”
Rahman said lawmakers may consider policies to keep air conditioners running during extreme heat. In northern states, power companies are prohibited from cutting off electrical service during the cold season. He said the same policy could be implemented in Louisiana during the warmer months.
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