Flash News

Arrests of "Bankers Petrolium", Prosecution provides details: Exported and sold 532 billion lek of oil, caused millions of euros in damage to the state

Ndahet nga jeta tragjikisht në moshën 28-vjeçare ylli i Liverpool, Diogo Jota

Posta e mëngjesit/ Me 2 rreshta: Çfarë pati rëndësi dje në Shqipëri

Ceno Klosi with over 800 stolen votes, Balluku finds the reason is the tiredness of the counters

"Fast & Furious" in the former Block, police chase an Audi Q8, 4 cars collide

E-TJERA

Extreme heat and psychological consequences, doctor: The body develops anxiety and aggressiveness

Politiko 2025-07-03 09:04:17

Extreme heat and psychological consequences, doctor: The body develops anxiety

Extreme heat brings a feeling of loss of control that is more pronounced on hot days, when everything seems to slip out of our hands.

People, the environment, ourselves. Professor Giuseppe Pantaleo, professor of Social Psychology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and director of UniSR-Social.Lab, talks about the effects of extreme heat on our psychological state.

In such conditions, states of anxiety can develop not as direct fear, but as a deep sense of uncertainty. This leads to a mental closure, with less flexibility and elasticity in thinking. It is a natural reaction to a threat, which on a social level we can also call a form of healthy selfishness. But extreme heat that lasts for several days is not something we can easily solve, and as a result, anxiety does not find relief. It reinforces the feeling of loss of control: it seems as if everything is getting out of hand – the people around us, the environment, ourselves.”

Are all people affected the same?

“Yes, even those who are usually calm and not prone to conflict can become more irritable, more aggressive, and more intolerant. Heat creates a need for immediate responses, because the mind seeks points of reference. This stems from the uncertainty I mentioned earlier: we are unable to have a long-term perspective, and we temporarily lose faith in the future. Our horizons become increasingly narrow.”

How can we react? Impact

"It is essential to follow the advice of doctors for physical and mental health. This gives us a sense of security, preventing us from entering a vicious circle: the more anxiety increases, the more body temperature rises, because emotions stimulate physical activation. The body mobilizes more energy, which leads to increased heat production, useful when we have to face a challenge, but harmful when it is unnecessary. As for the elderly or lonely people, it is very important to avoid social isolation, even if only through good relations with neighbors."

Does this also affect young people?

“Yes, and significantly so. What is called ‘eco-anxiety’ is very widespread among young people. There is a real fear that climate change will only get worse, due to the lack of strong action. In all the situations we described, it is essential to try to restore peace of mind — only then can we project ourselves into the future with more confidence.”

Latest news