When temperatures increase, mental health risks can too

NPR | By Rhitu Chatterjee

Published July 2, 2026 at 1:40 PM PDT

Much of the country is reeling under a heat wave, which poses risks not just to people's physical health, but also mental health. We look at those risks and who is most likely to be affected.

Rhitu Chatterjee

Rhitu Chatterjee is a health correspondent with NPR, with a focus on mental health. In addition to writing about the latest developments in psychology and psychiatry, she reports on the prevalence of different mental illnesses and new developments in treatments.

See stories by Rhitu Chatterjee