Table 1 Characteristics of studies included in qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis.
Author | Study Setting | Type of substance | Study design | Study population age | Time period of data collection | Study population size | Risk estimates | Definition of extreme temperature | Definition of healthcare services utilization | The main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chang23 | US | Amphetamine use | Case-crossover | All | 2005–2019 | 1,496,401 | OR | Comparing the 95th percentile and 50th percentile of daily mean temperature | Emergency department visit | People who use stimulants and opioids may be a subpopulation sensitive to short-term higher ambient temperature |
Cocaine use | 518,256 | |||||||||
Opioid use | 890,265 | |||||||||
Hensel22 | Germany | Alcohol | A prospective observational study | All | January, 2010–December, 2014 | 604 | Risk difference | Mild (10–20 °C) vs. high (over 20 °C) | On-site emergency care | Continuously increasing probability of occurrence of severe acute poisoning by alcohol and drugs with rising temperature |
Mild vs. low (less 10 °C) | ||||||||||
Opioids | 295 | Mild vs. high | ||||||||
Mild vs. low | ||||||||||
Sedatives or hypnotics, volatile solvents, and multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances | 636 | Mild vs. high | ||||||||
Mild vs. low | ||||||||||
Lavigne28 | Canada | Psychoactive substance use | Case-crossover | All | March 1st, 2004–December 31st, 2020 | 9,958,759 | OR | Heat (97.5% temperature in each health area) | Emergency department visit | The impacts of heat on mental and behavior disorders emergency department visits may vary across different vulnerability factors. |
Cold (2.5% temperature in each health area) | ||||||||||
Niu29 | US | Not Specified | Case-crossover | 12–17 | 2005–2011 | 2,385 | OR | Higher than 95% of the daily minimum temperature distribution for June-August | Emergency department visit | Elevated ambient temperatures were associated with acute mental health ED or hospital encounters across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood |
18–25 | 14,505 | |||||||||
Nori-Sarma30 | US | Not specified | Case-crossover | ≥ 18 years | 2010–2019 | 2,243,395 | IRR | More than 95% of the region’s population-weighted average daily maximum temperature between May and September | Emergency department visit | Days of extreme heat were associated with higher rates of mental health related ED visits |
Roy31 | Japan | Not specified | Time-series study | ≥ 15 years | 2010–2014 | 12,937 | RR | Values at the maximum RR point based on a 1% value of the daily average temperature distribution | On-site emergency care | An increase in daily mean temperature was associated with increased drug overdose risk |
Wang24 | Canada | Not specified | Time-series study | All | 2002–2010 | 73,050 | RR | Values at the 99% of the daily average temperature distribution | Emergency department utilization | Extreme temperature poses a risk to the health and wellbeing for individuals with mental and behavior illnesses |
Yoo32 | US | Not specified | Time-series study | All | 2009–2016 | 2,893,794 | RR | Values at the 97.5% of the daily average temperature distribution | Emergency department utilization | Positive association between short-term exposure to extreme heat and increased ER visits for total mental disorders |
