Responding to the Heat and Planning for the Future: An Interview-Based Inquiry of People with Schizophrenia Who Experienced the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada

Liv Yoon (), Emily J. Tetzlaff, Carson Wong, Tiffany Chiu, Lucy Hiscox, Samantha Mew, Dominique Choquette, Glen P. Kenny and Christian G. Schütz
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Liv Yoon: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
Emily J. Tetzlaff: Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Carson Wong: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
Tiffany Chiu: School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
Lucy Hiscox: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
Samantha Mew: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
Dominique Choquette: School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
Glen P. Kenny: Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Christian G. Schütz: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: People with schizophrenia have died at disproportionately higher rates during recent extreme heat events (EHEs) in Canada, including the deadly 2021 Heat Dome in British Columbia (B.C.). However, to date, little research has qualitatively focused on how people with schizophrenia experience and respond to EHEs. This study aimed to (i) explore how people with schizophrenia experienced and were impacted by the 2021 Heat Dome physically, cognitively, and emotionally and (ii) understand their level of awareness and health-protective actions taken in response to the EHE. Between October 2023 and February 2024, interviews were conducted with 35 people with schizophrenia who experienced the 2021 Heat Dome in a community setting within B.C., Canada. The semi-structured interviews were guided by pre-defined questions to explore the participant’s background, living situation, social network, awareness and access to heat-mitigation measures. The transcripts were analyzed using a descriptive form of thematic analysis. Participants shared critical insights on how the EHE impacted them, including descriptions of mild to severe physical manifestations of heat stress (e.g., fainting, heat rashes), the triggering of schizophrenia-related symptoms (e.g., paranoia, hallucinations), and the detrimental effects on their energy levels and emotional stability, which further caused disruptions to their everyday life. Participants also illustrated gaps in knowledge and challenges experienced with accessing information, which hindered their ability to manage the heat exposure effectively and, for some, resulted in no actions (or counter-intuitive actions) being taken to mitigate the heat. These findings demonstrate the complex ways that individuals with schizophrenia experienced and responded to the 2021 Heat Dome and revealed various situational and contextual factors that further compounded the challenge of heat mitigation. These findings can support the development of tailored individual and community-level heat response and communication initiatives and strategies for people with schizophrenia.

Keywords: climate change; air conditioning; extreme heat; heat wave; ill-housed persons; mental disorders; mental illness; risk reduction behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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