Conducted among young adults, the New Zealand study shows that a healthy diet, good quality sleep and regular exercise can predict better mental health.
As the Covid-19 pandemic threatens the mental health of many, a new study has looked into the keys to mental well-being. According to its authors, having quality sleep, eating well and exercising would have a beneficial impact on our mood and reduce the risk of developing depression. The results have just appeared in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
Sleep well rather than sleep a lot
Researchers surveyed more than 1,100 young adults residing in New Zealand and the United States about their sleep patterns, physical activity and diet. Participants were also asked about their mental well-being.
The results showed that, contrary to what sleep recommendations suggest, it is quality, not quantity, that suggests good mental health. “Although we found that a lack of sleep – less than eight hours – and too much sleep – more than 12 hours – were associated with greater depressive symptoms and poorer well-being, the quality of sleep far exceeded the amount of sleep in predicting mental health and well-being “, explains Shay-Ruby Wickham, principal author of the work.
According to the researcher, “This suggests that the quality of sleep should be promoted along with the quantity of sleep as a tool to improve the mental health and well-being of young adults”.
The three pillars of mental health
Along with quality sleep, exercise and eating raw fruits and vegetables (in that order) are three behaviors that correlate with better mental health and well-being in young adults, study finds. .
In detail, the results found that symptoms of depression were lowest in young adults who slept an average of 9.7 hours per night, and feelings of well-being were highest in those who slept 8 hours per night. night.
Well-being was also highest among participants who ate 4.8 servings of raw fruits and vegetables per day. In contrast, those who ate less than two servings, as well as more than eight servings, reported lower well-being.
“Sleep, physical activity and a healthy diet can be considered as three pillars of health, which could help promote optimal well-being in young adults, a population where the prevalence of mental disorders is high and well. -be suboptimal “, points out Shay-Ruby Wickham.
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