ArticleLancet regional health. Americas2025
Mental health disparities among maternal populations following heatwave exposure in North Carolina (2011-2019): a matched analysis.
Article in Lancet regional health. Americas, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Extreme heat and mental health: systematic review and qualitative investigation of risk and protective factors.Psychological medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Temperature extremes and maternal health: differential risks of severe maternal morbidity during heatwaves and coldwaves in North Carolina.International journal of biometeorology · 2026Article
- Temperature extremes contribute to suicide-related help-seeking through multiple pathways: Evidence from crisis hotline data (2019-2023).PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Stressors on Maternal Mental Health: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- World Health Day 2025: Time to Change Mindset Beyond Global Commitment to Maternal Health and Women's Well-Being.China CDC weekly · 2025Article
- Assessing the impact of heatwaves on emergency visits for major depression and suicidal ideation in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: The increasing incidence of extreme heat due to climate change poses a significant threat to maternal mental health in the U.S. We examine the association of acute exposure to heatwaves with maternal mental health conditions in North Carolina from 2011 to 2019. Methods: We incorporate a matched analysis design using NC Hospital Discharge Data to examine emergency department admissions for psychiatric conditions during the warm season (May to September), matching heatwave periods with non-heatwave unexposed periods at the zip code tabulation area (ZCTA) level. We stratify the sample to examine effect modification across the rural-urban continuum, physiographic regions, measurements of neighborhood racial and economic inequality, and individual-level sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, and insurance type). Findings: Our sample of 324,928 emergency department visits by pregnant individuals has a mean age of 25.8 years (SD: 5.84), with 9.3% (n = 30,205) identifying as Hispanic. Relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) indicate significant increases in maternal mental health burdens following heatwave exposure. Acute heatwave periods were associated with a 13% higher risk of severe mental illness (RR Interpretation: Our results add to the growing evidence of the impact of extreme heat on maternal mental health, particularly among vulnerable subpopulations. Additionally, findings emphasize the influence of socioeconomic and environmental contexts on mental health responses to heatwave exposure. Funding: This work was supported by the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award (grant #2044839) from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) award (grant #5R03ES035170-02).
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