Rising temperatures are leading to increased levels of stress, worsening anxiety and depression, and even suicide in the most extreme cases in Australia.

Scientists have identified for the first time an association between mean annual maximum temperatures pushed higher by climate change and suicides for both males and females across states and territories, according to a paper published by The Medical Journal of Australia on Thursday.

Climate change is already hitting the world's poor and by 2030 it will contribute to 250,000 additional deaths annually, new research has found. Credit:Kirk Gilmour

"In Australia, hot days have a damaging effect on [the] whole population equivalent to that of unemployment and predict hospitalisation for self-harm," according to the paper.

"It's quite a revelation," said Paul Beggs, an associate professor at Macquarie University and one of the report's authors. "It's not been found before."