Deenik, Jeroen and Vermeulen, Jentien M and Teasdale, Scott B and Schuch, Felipe Barreto and Marx, Wolfgang and Perry, Ben and Diez, Gustavo G and Castellanos, Nazareth and Elshazly, Mohamed and Gatera, Grace and Waugh, Matt and Hepsomali, Piril and Bueno-Antequera, Javier and Borrueco Sánchez, Jesús and Lopez Moral, Alvaro and López-Sánchez, Camilo and Oviedo Caro, Miguel Angel and Dejonge, Melissa and Noortman, Chermaine and van Schothorst, Myrthe and den Bleijker, Natascha and Scrivano, Luana and Noordsy, Douglas L and Fabian, Hannah and Jachyra, Patrick and Chapman, Justin and Merlo, Gia and Manger, Sam and O'neill, Adrienne and Machaczek, Katarzyna Karolina and Ardill-Young, Oliver and Ramírez, Paula and Matthews, Evan and Lambert, Jeffrey and Firth, Josh and Hassan, Lamiece and Jacka, Felice N and Ward, Philip and Stubbs, Brendon and Cahn, Wiepke and Rosenbaum, Simon and Vancampfort, Davy and Firth, Joseph (2025) Lifestyle psychiatry: a conceptual framework for application in mental healthcare and support. BMJ Mental Health, 28, e301980. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301980.
External website: https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e301980
Lifestyle-related behaviours-such as sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, disrupted sleep and substance use-are increasingly recognised as important factors in the onset and persistence of mental illness. Evidence for the efficacy and cost-efficiency of lifestyle interventions in mental health is growing, and such approaches are now embedded in international guidelines and endorsed by major health organisations and associations as 'lifestyle psychiatry'. Nevertheless, despite this progress, these interventions remain underused in mental healthcare and support. One contributing factor is the lack of a shared conceptual understanding of 'lifestyle psychiatry', which risks fragmented practice, inconsistency in research and uncertainty around its role in policy, care and support. This paper presents a conceptual framework for lifestyle psychiatry, developed through an iterative, collaborative process involving 43 contributors across 15 countries, representing clinical, academic, policy and lived experience expertise. The framework defines core domains, outlines key challenges to behaviour change specific to mental health populations and emphasises multilevel and equity-oriented approaches. It aligns with person-centred and recovery-oriented care and serves as a shared reference point for practical application and future development. With this, we aim to support the structured, context-sensitive integration of lifestyle psychiatry into mental healthcare and support.
G Health and disease > State of health > Mental health
G Health and disease > Substance related disorder > Substance related mental health disorder
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Risk and protective factors
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Type of care > Mental health care (Psychiatry / Psychology)
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health care delivery
L Social psychology and related concepts > Lifestyle
VA Geographic area > International
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