Researchers from the University of East Anglia have found that even modest changes in air temperature and the number of daylight hours may influence people's mental well-being and increase the demand for mental health services. The findings were published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

The researchers analyzed more than 4.6 million contacts with mental health services in England between 2014 and 2022. The study included calls to the NHS 111 service, visits to emergency departments, and consultations with out-of-hours general practitioners. These data were then compared with weather conditions on the corresponding days.

The analysis showed that the number of mental health-related contacts increased as air temperatures rose, peaking at around 18°C (64°F). Another important factor was reduced sunshine duration: on cloudier days, people were more likely to seek help for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, intentional self-harm, or alcohol intoxication.

By contrast, rainfall was not consistently associated with worsening mental health. According to the authors, air temperature and the amount of natural daylight appear to have a greater impact on emotional well-being than rainy weather itself.