School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 21;21(8):1108. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21081108.
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.
精神分裂症患者在加拿大最近的极端高温事件（EHE）中死亡率不成比例地更高，包括不列颠哥伦比亚省（B.C.）2021 年的致命 Heat Dome。然而，迄今为止，很少有研究从定性角度关注精神分裂症患者如何体验和应对 EHE。本研究旨在：（i）探讨精神分裂症患者在身体、认知和情感方面如何体验和受到 2021 年 Heat Dome 的影响；（ii）了解他们对 EHE 的认识程度以及为应对 EHE 而采取的健康保护措施。2023 年 10 月至 2024 年 2 月期间，在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的社区环境中，对 35 名经历过 2021 年 Heat Dome 的精神分裂症患者进行了半结构式访谈。访谈采用预先确定的问题引导，以探讨参与者的背景、生活状况、社交网络、对缓解高温措施的认识和获取情况。使用描述性主题分析对转录本进行分析。参与者分享了有关 EHE 如何影响他们的关键见解，包括对热应激的轻度到重度身体表现（例如，晕倒、热疹）、引发与精神分裂症相关的症状（例如，偏执、幻觉），以及对他们的能量水平和情绪稳定性的不利影响，这进一步扰乱了他们的日常生活。参与者还说明了在获取信息方面的知识差距和面临的挑战，这些挑战阻碍了他们有效管理热暴露的能力，对于一些人来说，导致没有采取（或反直觉的）措施来缓解高温。这些发现表明，精神分裂症患者体验和应对 2021 年 Heat Dome 的方式复杂多样，并揭示了各种情境和背景因素，进一步加剧了缓解高温的挑战。这些发现可以为精神分裂症患者量身定制个人和社区层面的热应对和沟通倡议以及战略提供支持。
