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Healthcare
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The Impact and Relationship of Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health
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The Impact and Relationship of Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Assessments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2025) | Viewed by 4512

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jesús Cebrino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Seville, Avda. Sánchez Pizjuán, S/N, 41009 Seville, Spain
Interests: bibliometrics; health surveys; lifestyle; mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Portero de la Cruz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: non-communicable diseases; health surveys; lifestyle; mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. Additionally, mental health is influenced by biological, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors.

Numerous prospective studies have identified lifestyle choices as important determinants of mental health. Even minor differences in lifestyle can make a significant impact on mental health status. Currently, diseases that cause the highest mortality and morbidity rates, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer, are associated with lifestyle. These aspects of lifestyles include healthy eating, increased physical activity, quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol and illicit substances. Moreover, the interplay between these lifestyle choices and mental health is crucial, as a healthier body often supports a healthier mind. Other key factors for a healthy life encompass optimal sleep, activities to reduce stress, and enjoying leisure time as well as social support.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue with papers related to the impact and relationship of lifestyle behaviors and mental health, with a focus on public health investigations. This Special Issue aims to publish original, high-quality research papers as well as review articles addressing new advances in the areas of lifestyle and mental health. We particularly welcome papers on policy impact, bibliometric analysis, nationwide cross-sectional studies with implications for practice, and research from different theoretical and methodological perspectives in order to advance knowledge and practice in the fields of lifestyle behaviors and mental health.

In this Special Issue, research areas can include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The relationship between diet quality and mental health.
  • The relationship between sleep and mental health.
  • The relationship between substance use behaviors and mental health.
  • The relationship between activities to reduce stress and enjoy leisure time and mental health.
  • The relationship between social support and mental health.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jesús Cebrino
Dr. Silvia Portero de la Cruz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alcohol drinking
  • diet
  • exercise
  • lifestyle
  • mental health
  • psychological stress
  • sleep
  • social support
  • substance use
  • tobacco use

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1762 KiB  
Article
The Correlation Between Emotionality Changes and Alcohol Consumption in Young Persons: A Pilot Study
by Simona Dana Mitincu-Caramfil, Lavinia-Alexandra Moroianu, Andrei Vlad Bradeanu, Oana-Maria Isailă, Cecilia Curis and Eduard Drima
Healthcare 2025, 13(9), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13090987 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 197
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Alcohol consumption in young persons is a growing phenomenon, with significant implications for physical and mental health. This behavior exposes adolescents and young adults to multiple risks, such as affecting cognitive functions, the development of emotional disorders, and social integration difficulties. The [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Alcohol consumption in young persons is a growing phenomenon, with significant implications for physical and mental health. This behavior exposes adolescents and young adults to multiple risks, such as affecting cognitive functions, the development of emotional disorders, and social integration difficulties. The present study sets out to investigate the way alcohol consumption influences emotionality in young people, focusing on the emotional changes (anxiety and irritability), cognitive changes (attention deficit and memory disorder), and behavioral changes (impulsivity and aggressiveness). Methods: The methodology involved collecting quantitative data from a sample of young people who consume and do not consume alcohol, using standardized questionnaires and advanced statistical software (processed in MATLAB version 9.11_R2021b). We analyzed variables such as consumption frequency and intensity, affective scores, and demographic factors to highlight the correlations between consumption level and the intensity of affective modifications. Results: The results revealed a significant association between alcohol consumption and the rise in anxiety and depression symptoms or a tendency toward impulsive behaviors. Additionally, we observed that psychosocial factors, including group pressure, family climate, and stressful contexts, can exacerbate emotional vulnerability. Conclusions: This study suggests the need for early psychological interventions and prevention programs to approach emotional and cognitive dimensions and the social influences associated with consumption. Implementing support and counseling strategies, as well as education and awareness campaigns, can contribute to reducing risky behavior and promoting young people’s harmonious development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact and Relationship of Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health)
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10 pages, 201 KiB  
Article
Stress and Anxiety Are Associated with Increased Metabolic Syndrome Risk Among Young Adults Living in the Deep South
by Megan E. Renna, Faith N. Wilbourne, Sonal Johal, Ava K. Fergerson, Kylee F. Behringer, Caleb F. Brandner, Jon Stavres and Austin J. Graybeal
Healthcare 2025, 13(4), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13040359 - 8 Feb 2025
Viewed by 675
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study assessed the association among perceived stress, anxiety, and depression with both the metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk and diagnostic status among young adults in the Deep South. Methods: Participants included 132 young adults aged 18–39 (Mage = 27.73, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study assessed the association among perceived stress, anxiety, and depression with both the metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk and diagnostic status among young adults in the Deep South. Methods: Participants included 132 young adults aged 18–39 (Mage = 27.73, SD = 11.11; MBMI = 27.6, SD = 6.8; 56.5% female; 55.7% White) living in Mississippi. In addition to completing self-report measures of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, all of the participants underwent anthropometric, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose and lipid assessments to ascertain the MetS status. The participants were provided with both a MetS diagnosis (defined as a dichotomous yes/no variable) as well as a continuous MetS risk severity score determined using existing equations. The risk scores ranged from −1 to +1, with positive scores indicating an increased risk for MetS. Results: After controlling for age, biological sex, race, medication use, and education level, multiple regression models revealed significant positive relationships between perceived stress (b = 0.03; p = 0.017) and anxiety symptoms (b = 0.01; p = 0.039) with the MetS severity. Perceived stress (p = 0.017) and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.043) were also significantly higher among participants with MetS compared to those without. There were no significant associations between the MetS severity and depressive symptoms, and no differences in depressive symptoms in participants with versus without MetS. Conclusions: The results highlight the role of stress and anxiety not only in MetS but in the overall metabolic risk among young adults living in the Deep South. The results highlight the importance of intervening on stress and anxiety early in adulthood to help mitigate cardiometabolic health risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact and Relationship of Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health)
16 pages, 2344 KiB  
Article
The Associations between Depression and Sugar Consumption Are Mediated by Emotional Eating and Craving Control in Multi-Ethnic Young Adults
by Austin J. Graybeal, Jon Stavres, Sydney H. Swafford, Abby T. Compton, Stephanie McCoy, Holly Huye, Tanner Thorsen and Megan E. Renna
Healthcare 2024, 12(19), 1944; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12191944 - 28 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2929
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Individuals with mental health conditions such as depression are vulnerable to poor dietary habits, potentially due to the maladaptive eating behaviors often used to regulate negative emotion. However, the specific dietary components most associated with depression, as well as the mediating roles [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Individuals with mental health conditions such as depression are vulnerable to poor dietary habits, potentially due to the maladaptive eating behaviors often used to regulate negative emotion. However, the specific dietary components most associated with depression, as well as the mediating roles of emotion regulation and other eating behaviors, remains ambiguous in young adults. Methods: For this cross-sectional evaluation, a total of 151 (86 F, 65 M; BMI: 22.0 ± 5.1 kg/m2; age: 21.4 ± 2.5 y) multi-ethnic participants (50 White, 36 Black, 60 Asian, and 5 White Hispanic) completed a digital 24-h dietary recall and self-reported measures of depressive symptoms, emotional regulation, and eating behaviors. LASSO regression was used to identify the dietary variables most associated with each subscale and to remove extraneous dietary variables, and multiple regression and mediation analyses were conducted for the remaining variables. Results: Out of >100 dietary factors included, only added sugar in the combined sample (p = 0.043), and relative sugar in females (p = 0.045), were retained and positively associated with depressive symptoms. However, the relationships between depression and added and relative sugar intake were mediated by craving control and emotional eating, respectively. Individuals with higher added sugar intake (p = 0.012–0.037), and females with higher relative sugar intake (p = 0.029–0.033), had significantly higher odds of risk for major depression disorder and the use of mental health medications. Conclusions: Added and relative sugar intake are significantly associated with depressive symptoms in young adults, but these relationships may be mediated by facets of emotional dysregulation, such as emotional eating and craving control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact and Relationship of Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health)
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