Testing how indoor overheating affects people with schizophrenia
Studies how a hot indoor room affects body and thinking in adults with schizophrenia.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Heat Stress in Individuals With Schizophrenia
Key facts
- Where
- Ottawa, CanadaSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 85 years old?
Source: NCT07383324, who can take part
Where in Canada
- University of OttawaOttawa, CanadaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Ottawa
- Trial code
- NCT07383324
- Record updated
- 23 April 2026
- Original description
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness affecting approximately 24 million people worldwide and is associated with more than double the all cause mortality risk of the general population. Emerging evidence demonstrates that elevated temperatures acutely worsen mental health symptoms and significantly increase the risk of heat related morbidity and mortality. For people living with schizophrenia, prolonged exposure to heat can exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, impair judgment and decision making, and reduce the ability to engage in protective behaviors such as increasing hydration, reducing clothing, improving ventilation, or seeking cooler environments. As a result, individuals with schizophrenia may experience higher rates of heat related illness. To date our understanding of heat exposure effects in individuals with schizophrenia remains incomplete, hindering the development of evidence-based strategies to protect them.Read full original descriptionShow less
Impact of Indoor Overheating on Physiological Strain in Individuals With Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness affecting approximately 24 million people worldwide and is associated with more than double the all cause mortality risk of the general population. Emerging evidence demonstrates that elevated temperatures acutely worsen mental health symptoms and significantly increase the risk of heat related morbidity and mortality. For people living with schizophrenia, prolonged exposure to heat can exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, impair judgment and decision making, and reduce the ability to engage in protective behaviors such as increasing hydration, reducing clothing, improving ventilation, or seeking cooler environments. As a result, individuals with schizophrenia may experience higher rates of heat related illness. To date our understanding of heat exposure effects in individuals with schizophrenia remains incomplete, hindering the development of evidence-based strategies to protect them.
Thus, the primary objective of this exploratory study is to gather preliminary data on the effects of indoor overheating on physiological responses (core body temperature and cardiovascular function), cognitive performance (attention, working memory, and reaction time), and mood in adults with schizophrenia. Specifically, we will assess whether maintaining indoor conditions at the upper recommended temperature limit for older adults (26°C, 45% relative humidity [RH]; PMID: 38329752) is sufficient to mitigate physiological strain compared with exposure to a hot indoor environment (36°C, 45% RH) representative of non-air-conditioned homes during extreme heat events in individuals with schizophrenia. In both conditions, the individual will remain seated at rest while wearing light clothing (t shirt and shorts), with the exception of performing 15 minutes of stepping exercise (4-4.5 METS) each hour (excluding the lunch period) to reflect typical daily activities of daily living.
Inclusion: English or French speaking; Ability to provide informed consent; Individuals with and without schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Exclusion: Any history of diagnoses for other psychiatric disorders deemed to make participation in the study inadvisable; Endurance exercise training (greater than 3 sessions of vigorous exercise training per week for 30 minutes or more); Restrictions to physical activity.