Termómetros emocionales: el impacto del cambio climático en la salud mental
Palabras clave:
Cambio Climático, Salud Mental, Ansiedad, Trastorno Afectivo Estacional, HipotálamoResumen
Cada vez se reconoce más la capacidad del clima para afectar la salud física y el bienestar mental. Objetivo: analizar las causas de los impactos del cambio climático en la salud mental y describir sus principales efectos. Método: revisión narrativa de la literatura en bases de datos científicas (PubMed, SciELO, OPS/OMS) hasta 2024. Desarrollo: las temperaturas extremas alteran el funcionamiento hipotalámico, afectando el sueño, el estado de ánimo y la capacidad cognitiva. El calor exige mayor actividad al hipotálamo, pudiendo bloquear la termorregulación; el frío aumenta el consumo energético y activa respuestas de temblor. El paradigma central es el trastorno depresivo mayor con patrón estacional (trastorno afectivo estacional), que puede derivar en suicidio y violencia. También se describen la ecoansiedad (miedo crónico al cataclismo ambiental) y la solastalgia (angustia por la degradación del entorno propio) como manifestaciones emergentes. Las altas temperaturas se asocian linealmente con aumento de hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas e intentos de suicidio. Conclusiones: las bases biológicas de la salud mental dependen de la adaptación a las variaciones térmicas a través del hipotálamo. Se proponen alternativas locales como el manejo del entorno, la actividad colectiva en contacto con la naturaleza y el establecimiento de alianzas comunitarias.
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