Recent years have seen a substantial increase in both academic and clinical interest around how ‘lifestyle behaviours’, such as exercise, sleep and diet, can influence mental health. For instance, population-scale longitudinal studies have shown how healthy lifestyles reduce the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, numerous clinical trials across multiple psychiatric populations have provided compelling evidence that interventions which improve lifestyle behaviours can reduce psychiatric symptoms and improve psychological well-being among patients.
The aim of this Research Topic is to produce a novel body of work contributing towards the field of ‘Lifestyle Psychiatry’; i.e. the use of lifestyle interventions in the treatment of mental disorders.
We warmly welcome all rigorous research projects examining this area of interest, across a range of study designs. Specifically, the Research Topic aims to include:
1) Novel case-control analyses; providing new insights into which aspects of lifestyle differ between people with mental health conditions and the general population.
2) Clinical cohort studies; investigating the association between specific lifestyle factors and psychological/cognitive outcomes in psychiatric populations
3) Randomized and open-label trials; examining if interventions which improve exercise, diet, sleep and other behaviours can significantly improve mental health - in both clinical and non-clinical populations.
4) Pragmatic evaluations; using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs in order to shed new light on the feasibility, acceptability, cost-effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in the prevention or treatment of psychiatric conditions.
Therefore, this Research Topic will (a) present important ‘behavioural targets’ for lifestyle modification in public health and/or clinical settings, and (b) examine the efficacy and implementation of lifestyle interventions for people with mental health conditions. Collectively, this will increase understanding and inform evidence-based practice of ‘Lifestyle Psychiatry’, while providing clear directions for future research required to take the field forward.
Recent years have seen a substantial increase in both academic and clinical interest around how ‘lifestyle behaviours’, such as exercise, sleep and diet, can influence mental health. For instance, population-scale longitudinal studies have shown how healthy lifestyles reduce the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, numerous clinical trials across multiple psychiatric populations have provided compelling evidence that interventions which improve lifestyle behaviours can reduce psychiatric symptoms and improve psychological well-being among patients.
The aim of this Research Topic is to produce a novel body of work contributing towards the field of ‘Lifestyle Psychiatry’; i.e. the use of lifestyle interventions in the treatment of mental disorders.
We warmly welcome all rigorous research projects examining this area of interest, across a range of study designs. Specifically, the Research Topic aims to include:
1) Novel case-control analyses; providing new insights into which aspects of lifestyle differ between people with mental health conditions and the general population.
2) Clinical cohort studies; investigating the association between specific lifestyle factors and psychological/cognitive outcomes in psychiatric populations
3) Randomized and open-label trials; examining if interventions which improve exercise, diet, sleep and other behaviours can significantly improve mental health - in both clinical and non-clinical populations.
4) Pragmatic evaluations; using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs in order to shed new light on the feasibility, acceptability, cost-effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in the prevention or treatment of psychiatric conditions.
Therefore, this Research Topic will (a) present important ‘behavioural targets’ for lifestyle modification in public health and/or clinical settings, and (b) examine the efficacy and implementation of lifestyle interventions for people with mental health conditions. Collectively, this will increase understanding and inform evidence-based practice of ‘Lifestyle Psychiatry’, while providing clear directions for future research required to take the field forward.
