As the mercury continues to rise across India, and heatwaves are making rounds, a less visible but equally dangerous threat is making its presence felt: heat anxiety. The searing temperatures of 2025 have not only strained our power grids and water resources but also our minds.
Psychiatric clinics across the country are reporting a surge in anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, and emotional exhaustion, all tied to extreme heat exposure. Mental health experts are sounding the alarm, saying that the psychological impact of rising temperatures is being dangerously overlooked.
The situation is becoming urgent, especially among young adults and urban populations, where the burden is visibly rising with every passing summer.
The Silent Symptoms Of Heat Anxiety
According to Padma Shri Dr Mukesh Batra, Founder-Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra’s Healthcare, “Long durations of heat exposure activate the body’s stress response, leading to increased adrenaline and cortisol. This triggers anxiety, agitation, and sleep disturbances.”
Unlike a sunburn or dehydration, heat anxiety creeps in subtly. It begins with physical signs such as excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or nausea. However, it is the emotional and behavioural responses – irritability, panic, mood swings, and fear of stepping outdoors that mark the deeper mental impact.
“People with existing mental health conditions like anxiety or depression may feel worse during extremely hot weather,” explains Dr. Harini Atturu, Senior Psychiatrist, CARE Hospitals, Hyderabad. “Even those with no prior history of illness begin to feel emotionally low, leading to avoidant behaviors.”
The result is a growing number of people skipping work, cancelling plans, or staying indoors out of sheer apprehension.
How Heat Affects The Brain And Body Together
The physiological impact of heat stress mimics anxiety. As the body heats up, it activates the sympathetic nervous system. This results in symptoms, like restlessness, chest tightness, and insomnia that mirror panic attacks. In this overlap, diagnosis becomes tricky, and treatment gets delayed.
“Dehydration and heat exhaustion can amplify or mirror anxiety disorders,” warns Dr Kunal Kumar, Senior Consultant, Psychiatry, Sharda Care Healthcity. “This creates a cycle where both physical and mental health spiral downward together.”
As per the Indian Psychiatry Society, psychiatric consultations rose by 20% during the 2025 summer heatwave, indicating a strong correlation between temperature spikes and mental health deterioration.
India’s Mental Health Burden Is Already High
India is facing a mental health crisis even without the added challenge of climate change. The number of Indians living with mental disorders has doubled since 1990. According to a March 2025 study, one in seven Indians is affected by mental illness. But the treatment gap stands at a staggering 80 per cent for common disorders.
A 2023 Lancet report projected a 23 per cent rise in India’s mental illness burden by 2025, directly linking climate-induced stress to worsening mental health. In rural India, the Journal of Affective Disorders found that heatwaves significantly disrupted students’ emotional well-being, causing increased anxiety and irritability among adolescents.
Why Urban India Is Especially Vulnerable
The “urban heat island effect” is making things worse in cities. With fewer trees, reflective surfaces, and cramped spaces, urban environments trap more heat and offer less relief. In cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Hyderabad, day temperatures often stay above 40°C for weeks, and access to cooling resources is still a luxury.
“During the 2025 UP heatwave, we saw 100 to 150 psychiatric cases daily,” Dr Batra told NDTV. “Urban and semi-urban populations exposed to sustained heat stress are showing clear signs of psychosomatic disorders and anxiety-like episodes.”
This problem worsens for people in low-income housing, where fans or air conditioners are rare.
Also Read: ResearchED: Will ‘One Nation One AC Temperature’ Work In A Hot Country Like India?
Adolescents, Children, And The Elderly Are The Worst Hit
While everyone is feeling the heat, adolescents and young adults are especially at risk. Dr. Batra highlights that “hormonal changes, screen-time addiction, academic pressures, and social isolation” are magnifying their psychological vulnerability during hot weather. Reports show that teens are more likely to suffer panic attacks and low moods during extended heat waves.
Children and elderly citizens, who struggle to regulate body temperature, are equally vulnerable. The Indian Journal of Public Health noted a 30 per cent increase in sleep disorders and agitation in people over 60 during the May-June 2025 period.
Dr Atturu rightly states, “Mental health and weather are closely linked. As our climate continues to change, we need to start recognising the emotional impact of extreme seasons, not just the physical effects.”
Climate Change Is Also A Mental Health Emergency
As climate change pushes temperatures higher each year, heat anxiety is no longer a fringe concern. It is a growing mental health emergency, silently affecting millions across India. With psychiatric clinics overwhelmed and mental health services under-resourced, the emotional cost of rising heat can no longer be ignored.
The need of the hour is an integrated public health approach. Governments must expand access to mental healthcare and create more heat-resilient urban spaces. Awareness campaigns, school counselling, and climate-adaptive infrastructure are no longer optional. As Dr Kumar puts it, “We are not just facing a heatwave. We are facing a psychological storm that will need both medical and climate action to survive.”
Images: Google Images
Sources: NDTV, Times of India, Economic Times
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: mental health crisis, heat anxiety India, climate change and anxiety, urban heat stress, 2025 heatwave mental impact, rising temperatures India, public health and climate, psychological effects of heat, mental illness statistics India, youth anxiety summer
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