Schizophrenia and heat related illness

Recent research published in both the mainstream press and the academic literature has strongly indicated that people with schizophrenia are at an increased risk of death from heat-related illness during heat waves and other periods of excessive hot weather.   And, with another heat wave now being experienced in the UK  people living with schizophrenia should be aware of this risk.

A study published on the Geo Health platform in 2023 found that, during the heat wave in British Columbia, Canada in 2021, people with schizophrenia were at much higher risk of death than at other times of more normal temperatures.  According to the journal, Science, “overall more than 8% of those who died during the heat wave had a history of schizophrenia: up from 2.7% in the same week during a typical year”.

Why this should be so is complex:  there are a number of factors.  Schizophrenia can affect the part of the brain that regulates body temperature and some antipsychotic medicines can affect the way that the body regulates its temperature as well.  In addition, schizophrenia often causes a condition called anosognosia which reduces the person’s awareness of their ill health.  Conditions like diabetes and alcohol use, which often occur alongside schizophrenia, can also contribute to the risk from heat-related illness and social isolation and homelessness can make it more difficult for people with heat -related illness to get timely help.

Greater awareness of this risk is needed, particularly by community mental health teams and especially community psychiatric nurses who can check on patients with schizophrenia during periods like this of excessive hot weather and ensure that they have taken precautions.  Carers and relatives can also play a part and should know how to cope with hot weather and what to do in case of heat-related illness.  Sufferers of schizophrenia themselves should also be more aware of this risk and look at how they can take some simple precautions when the weather is too hot.  There is good advice on the Gov.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heatwave-plan-for-england/beat-the-heat-staying-safe-in-hot-weather on how to cope with periods of extreme hot weather and the National Health Service (NHS) and Red Cross websites cover what to do in case of a heat-related illness.   (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/ )

(https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/heat-exhaustion)

Image:  Guenter Albers on Shutterstock

Contact us on email at: info@livingwithschizophreniauk.org