In Rajasthan, where temperatures routinely soar past 45°C, rural workers are not only battling heat-induced illnesses but also the silent toll of mental distress. As climate change intensifies, heat action plans in the state focus heavily on physical health and productivity - yet rarely address the psychological impact on vulnerable populations.

For daily wage workers, farmers, and construction laborers, extreme heat brings more than dehydration or heatstroke. It brings anxiety over lost workdays, mounting debts, and the uncertainty of livelihood. These stressors compound existing challenges like poverty, social isolation, and poor access to healthcare, creating a mental health crisis that remains largely invisible.

Despite evidence linking extreme weather to depression, anxiety, and trauma, psychosocial support is missing from most climate resilience frameworks. Rural workers, especially women, are left to cope in silence.

Experts are now urging governments to integrate mental health services into climate adaptation strategies - recognizing that the mind, too, suffers under the weight of rising temperatures.