SHANGHAI, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese researchers have found that mental health is associated with healthy aging regardless of socio-economic status and plays an important role in promoting longevity and resilience in aging, China Science Daily reported on Tuesday.
The research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine analyzed the effects of mental health on various aging outcomes using publicly available genetic data from populations of European descent.
Analysis of multiple datasets, including one of 2.3 million people, showed that individuals with better mental health experience healthier aging, including greater resilience, higher self-rated health levels, and greater longevity.
The researchers also found that income, education and occupation were all related to better mental health, with increased income having the strongest association. In addition, reducing a sedentary lifestyle and smoking, as well as increasing cheese and fruit intake, may contribute to better mental health and healthy aging.
The findings underscore the need to integrate mental health support into public health policy and aging research. The research team also noted that interventions to promote mental health may be a viable strategy to enhance healthy aging in different groups of people.
This study was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.