Arizona's fall heat wave can have a negative impact on mental health

PHOENIX (AZFamily)—The ongoing heat wave in late September appears to be continuing into October, and the extreme heat can impact not only our physical health, but our mental health as well.

With fall activities in full swing over the weekend, people were expecting temperatures below 110 degrees.

It feels more like the middle of summer than the end of September.

Dr. Shad Marvasti says people need to pay attention to this heat wave.

“Change your attitude and say October is starting now. It shouldn’t be this hot and they’ll act like it’s not this hot, but it is so hot,” he said. “Someone who's tired of dealing with it and it's affecting their mood, to someone else who may have an underlying condition, who's older, where they're actually at risk of dehydrating to the point where they end up in the hospital .”

Dr. Marvasti says this can impact our sleep, our mood and our anxiety. The heat can make it difficult to sleep.

During extreme heat waves, people can become depressed or angry more easily.

He says people with underlying health conditions could be hardest hit, as well as older Arizona residents.

He says it's important to stay hydrated and avoid the afternoon heat. Treat next week like it's summer.

“113 in September is the same as 113 in June,” said Dr. Marvasti.

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