Cold homes increase the risk of severe mental health problems – new study

As the cost of living and energy crisis continues, a new study suggests that cold homes increase the risk of severe mental ill health.

This research is reported on and explained in plain terms in The Conversation. The study was a longitudinal cohort study - which means it followed a group (cohort) of participants at routine intervals over time. The study attempted to control confounding variables - other factors known to increase the risk of mental ill-health - in an attempt to make the findings more valid and applicable to cold homes only.

The highlights of the findings were as follows:

• The risk of living in a cold home in the UK is unevenly distributed
• Transitioning to living in a cold home increases risk of mental distress
• The risk of severe mental distress doubles for those with no prior mental ill health
• The risk triples for those previously on the borderline of severe mental distress
• Cold homes are an avoidable source of social harm with significant health impacts

Read the original research here:

Cold homes and mental health harm: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study