Peer-reviewed article
Heat, menstruation, and mental health in adolescence and young adulthood: Understudied in climate-health research.
C Brimicombe, J D Runkle, B Mouchtouri, C Cattle, C Part et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This narrative review examines how heat exposure affects menstruating adolescents and young adults, particularly through impacts on mental health. The authors propose that heat stress can disrupt body temperature regulation, worsen menstrual symptoms, and increase psychological stress, with effects potentially amplified by period poverty and stigma. The review identifies major gaps in climate-health research and calls for gender-responsive approaches to building climate resilience in health systems.
Key points
- Heat exposure may disrupt thermoregulation, exacerbate menstrual symptoms, and heighten psychological stress in menstruating individuals
- Stigma, period poverty, and developmental vulnerability shape how heat affects adolescent and young adult mental health
- The combined effects of heat, menstruation, and mental health remain poorly understood and understudied in climate-health research
- The review draws on evidence from multiple disciplines including biological, psychological, and structural pathways
Limitations
This is a narrative review that synthesizes existing evidence rather than conducting new empirical research, so it cannot provide quantitative data on the magnitude of effects or definitive causal relationships. The review does not specify which countries or populations have been studied, limiting understanding of geographic applicability.
Abstract
Ambient heat is an escalating climate-related hazard, yet its implications for menstruation and adolescent and young adult mental health remain understudied. Menstruating individuals face unique physiological and psychosocial challenges that may be intensified in the presence of heat stress. These challenges can be further shaped by stigma, period poverty, and developmental vulnerability, with potential implications for depression, anxiety, and psychological wellbeing. Heat exposure may disrupt thermoregulation, exacerbate menstrual symptoms, and heighten psychological stress, but the combined effects of these processes remain poorly understood. In this critical narrative review, we: draw together evidence from multiple disciplines on biological, psychological, and structural pathways linking heat exposure, menstruation, and mental health. We identify important research gaps and propose a conceptual framework and gender-responsive research agenda to inform equitable climate-resilient health strategies.