Interrogating the Relationship Between Weather and Mental Health: A Systematic Review

A growing body of research suggests that variations in weather may adversely influence several mental health conditions. This research has presented statistically significant associations between variations in daily weather; climate seasonality; extreme weather events (EWEs); and psychotic, mood, and neurotic disorders. There is notable heterogeneity across the study methodologies and findings. This systematic review provides a comprehensive synthesis of published research on the relationship between weather and mental health, examining the input data and methodologies employed in this research, and comparing the findings across studies in different regions. Most research on this subject presents a significant statistical correlation between air temperature, sunlight exposure, and EWEs, with increased suicide rates and hospital admissions for mood, neurotic, and psychotic disorders. The nature and strength of this correlation, however, vary between studies, and more robust and rigorous research is required to better clarify the relationship between weather and mental health.