Summer heat is associated with higher rates of death by suicide in young people ages 15 to 24, according to a study published today in The American Journal of Psychiatry.Why It’s Relevant
The relationship between heat and suicide deaths has been well-studied in the general population, but this association remains poorly understood in young people—a demographic among which suicide is the second leading cause of death. In addition, youth are less biologically and socially equipped to tolerate heat and spend frequent time in risky environments such as outdoor sports programs.
By the Numbers
- The study authors calculated monthly rates of U.S. suicide deaths in people ages 5 to 24 between 1980 and 2004. They drew their data on ambient temperatures from Oregon State University’s PRISM climate dataset.
- For every 1°C (1.8°F) increase in summer temperature above regional averages, the rate of suicide deaths rose 2.68% in youth ages 15 to 24—equating to 12 additional deaths by suicide per month nationally. Youth ages 5 to 14 had similarly increased risk, though that did not reach statistical significance.
- The rate of suicide deaths rose more in females (5.20%) than males (2.37%) per 1°C increase in temperature.
- The increase in suicide deaths per 1°C increase in temperature varied by geographic area, from 0.73% in the Pacific region to 7.72% in New England.
The Other Side
Because data were collected at the county level, the findings can’t be used to predict how temperature affects individual suicide risk, especially because individual risk may vary depending on housing quality, cooling access, and cumulative stress.
What’s Next
“Prospective studies using wearable thermometer-hygrometers combined with frequent longitudinal assessments of mood and suicidality through ecological momentary assessment could provide the data necessary to establish causality in the temperature-suicide relationship,” the researchers wrote. “As temperatures continue to rise, protecting the mental health of young people will require not only better science but also a biosocial commitment to structural interventions, including cooling access, urban planning reform, and climate-informed mental health policy.”
Related Information
Source
Pranav Jayaraman, et al. Deadly heat: the association between ambient temperature and suicide in young people in the United States. The American Journal of Psychiatry. Published online June 24, 2026. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.20250955
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/batuhan toker)
