Extreme heat and air pollution raise mental health risks in Catalonia

Exposure to extreme temperatures and high levels of air pollution increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, according to a study by the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute and the Chronicity Research Network, Primary Care and Health Promotion.

The effects are particularly strong in socially vulnerable neighborhoods, where residents have fewer resources to cope with heat and pollution.

Researchers analyzed the impact of the climate crisis on mental health in the Barcelona metropolitan area, considering social and gender factors.

The qualitative study included 60 interviews with residents in three neighborhoods with similar environmental conditions.

These neighborhoods had different socioeconomic levels: Eixample Esquerra and Raval in Barcelona, and the Florida neighborhood in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Results show that coping varies depending on resources. Residents with limited means often live in small, poorly ventilated homes and have little access to green spaces or shade.

In contrast, middle-class areas have more access to air conditioning, parks, and the ability to leave the city during heatwaves.

The quantitative analysis, using Information System for Research in Primary Care data, found that 12% of the population received an anxiety diagnosis and 4% a depression diagnosis, with more than 60% of cases in women. 

Exposure to high temperatures increased the risk of anxiety by 43% and depression by 26%. 

Researchers link these effects to inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, heightened stress and irritability during extreme heat.

Youth mental health on the rise

Visits by minors to primary health centers (CAPs) in Catalonia for mental health issues rose 27.7% between 2024 and 2025, from nearly 95,500 to more than 122,000.

At Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centers, the number of patients increased 16% between 2018 and 2024, while visits grew 36%.

In 2024, a total of 76,982 minors were treated, 36% with chronic diagnoses.

Experts call for public health measures, urban planning, and social support to reduce these impacts.