Occupational Heat Exposure & Mental Health Outcomes: A Review and Framework Incorporating Social Determinants of Health to Guide Future Research

Details

• Personal Author:
  Blancas MT ; Florez-Acevedo S ; Spector JT
• Description:
  Purpose of review: Environmental heat exposure is associated with adverse mental health outcomes in the general population; however, the mental health effects of heat exposure in occupational populations have not been fully characterized. We sought to: (1) review primary research studies on the relationship of occupational heat exposure with mental health outcomes; and (2) synthesize the literature with a proposed framework to identify gaps and opportunities for future research, using an equity lens. Recent findings: Ten peer-reviewed studies between 1997 and 2024 that met our selection criteria included five cross-sectional, one longitudinal, one mixed-methods, one qualitative, and two experimental/quasi-experimental studies of varying quality. Studies were conducted across five continents covering agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting; public administration and healthcare; utilities; mining, oil and gas extraction; and glass manufacturing industries. Occupational heat exposure was associated with mental health outcomes including stress, anxiety, mental disorders and burnout in seven of ten studies. The literature on occupational heat exposure and mental health outcomes among workers is emerging. Future research should address research gaps through high-quality etiologic and solutions-oriented intervention research and should be informed by a framework that considers both upstream and downstream factors, including work psychosocial factors and social determinants of health. Research with worker populations with high current and projected occupational heat exposure and/or a high prevalence of factors associated with an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes should be prioritized. Work equity should be addressed through partner-engaged methods and co-development of culturally appropriate products, incorporating the contexts and needs of populations at disproportionate risk of adverse mental health outcomes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Climate Change Environmental Exposure Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Mental Health Climate Change Environmental Exposure Health Equity Heat Exposure Heat Stress Hot Environments Mental Health Occupational Health
• ISSN:
  2196-5412
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  15
• Volume:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070567
• Citation:
  Curr Environ Health Rep 2025 Feb; 12:15
• Contact Point Address:
  June T. Spector, Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program, Work Equity Research Center (WERC), Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504-4330
• Email:
  spel235@lni.wa.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Current Environmental Health Reports
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:317163956697f340dbf6d75e4f82d934c030728a1be525722605dbc89bb3f18359fd65a39d8ab02cb59d944001fbc8114a90ea0d0277c5c12da1b448f000df26
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208750/cdc_208750_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.78 MB ]