By Susan Scutti

No matter where we live, weather touches each of us daily and the warming effects of climate change go beyond the physical environment.

A rise in average monthly temperatures is tied to a small increase in mental health issues, according to a study published Monday in the journal PNAS. And over five years, a 1 degree Celsius increase in average temperature results in an even greater prevalence of mental difficulties.

"We don't exactly know why we see high temperatures or increasing temperatures produce mental health problems," said Nick Obradovich, lead author of the study and a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. "For example, is poor sleep due to hot temperatures the thing that produces mental health problems? We have a lot of work to do to figure out precisely what is causing what."