Lifestyle choices and mental health: a representative population survey.

Julia Velten,Jürgen Margraf,Xiao-Chi Zhang,Silvia Schneider,Kristen L Lavallee,Saskia Scholten,Andrea Hans Meyer

doi:10.1186/s40359-014-0055-y

Julia Velten, Jürgen Margraf + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-014-0055-y

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Journal: BMC psychology	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2014
Citations: 150	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Ruhr University Bochum, University of Basel

Abstract

BackgroundIdentifying healthy lifestyle behaviours that promote psychological wellbeing is crucial to preventing mental disorders. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the individual and combined associations between different aspects of everyday life and mental health within a representative community sample in Germany.MethodThe study was conducted in 2012/2013 and included 7,937 participants representative of the German population. Lifestyle factors were assessed via self-report and included frequency of physical and mental activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index as well as circadian and social regularity. Outcome variables were depression, anxiety, stress and satisfaction with life.ResultsAll lifestyle factors were associated with the mental health outcomes. Better mental health was linked to higher frequency of physical and mental activity, moderate alcohol consumption (i.e. not increased or no alcohol consumption), non-smoking, a body mass index within the range of normal to overweight (i.e. not underweight or obese) and a regular life rhythm. The more healthy lifestyle choices an individual makes, the higher life satisfaction and lower psychological distress he or she tends to have.ConclusionsThe current study underlines the importance of healthy lifestyle choices in respect to psychological wellbeing.

Highlights

Identifying healthy lifestyle behaviours that promote psychological wellbeing is crucial to preventing mental disorders
All lifestyle factors were associated with the mental health outcomes
Better mental health was linked to higher frequency of physical and mental activity, moderate alcohol consumption, non-smoking, a body mass index within the range of normal to overweight and a regular life rhythm

Summary

Introduction

Identifying healthy lifestyle behaviours that promote psychological wellbeing is crucial to preventing mental disorders. More than 38% of the population within the European Union suffers from at least one mental disorder. Both direct health care costs as well as non-medical and indirect costs are immense, as mental and neurological disorders led to total costs of €798 billion in Europe in 2010. The need for health promotion, Lifestyle behaviours and health Mental health is influenced by trait markers, general living conditions and major life events, and, as increasing evidence indicates, by simple everyday behaviours that can be altered by an individual. Prospective studies consistently find a bidirectional relationship between various lifestyle factors and physical as well as mental health, with important health improvements and wellbeing following relatively small changes in lifestyle (Jonsdottir et al 2010; Xu et al 2010)

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