Ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland: A 45-year time-series study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Psychiatric disorders constitute a major public health concern that are associated with substantial health and socioeconomic burden. Psychiatric patients may be more vulnerable to high temperatures, which under current climate change projections will most likely increase the burden of this public health concern.

Objective

This study investigated the short-term association between ambient temperature and mental health hospitalizations in Bern, Switzerland.

Methods

Daily hospitalizations for mental disorders between 1973 and 2017 were collected from the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Bern. Population-weighted daily mean ambient temperatures were derived for the catchment area of the hospital from 2.3-km gridded weather maps. Conditiona

SUBMITTER: Bundo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8509878 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature