"Be careful!"/ Temperatures up to 41 degrees, experts warn: The heat causes anxiety and depression in children

The third week of June is expected to be hot. Forecasters have predicted that the thermometer will reach 41 degrees Celsius in certain areas.

Days with high temperatures and heat episodes have increased in the last two decades as a result of climate change.

A study conducted by the public health institute has raised the concern that high temperatures are negatively affecting children's spinal health. They report that heat, drought, and poor air quality increase the risk of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, impaired cognitive function, interpersonal aggression, and other mental health impacts.

While forecasts say that by 2050 average annual temperatures will increase by 2 degrees, experts say that this will affect the deterioration of children's mental health indicators.

A projected increase in temperature of 2°C is associated with a 4% decrease in learning, and a 4°C increase in temperature is associated with a 7% decrease in learning.

WHO estimates that the prevalence of anxiety and depression disorders in the general population of Albania is 3.8% and 4.8%, respectively.

The latest data regarding the mental health situation especially among children and adolescents in Albania has highlighted that 16% of children and adolescents have felt anxiety and nervousness every day, while 10% have reported difficulty sleeping.