Lifestyle Psychiatry : Supporting mental health with Dr Adrian Lopresti and Dr Joseph Firth
This is an edited transcript of a podcast discussion between Dr Adrian Lopresti and Dr Joseph Firth . It is published with the kind permission of FXMedicine . Dr Joseph Firth and Dr Adrian Lopresti discuss the emerging field of lifestyle psychiatry . Adrian and Joseph discuss the importance of engaging specialists to support patients with lifestyle interventions , such as exercise physiologists and nutritionists , to increase the health outcomes of the patient .
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Lifestyle psychiatry takes the principles of lifestyle medicine and applies them to the field of psychiatry for the treatment of mental health conditions . It may involve exercise , nutrition , sleep , nutrient supplementation and mindfulness .
• Lifestyle psychiatry interventions are most successful when delivered in a collaborative care model with specialists from each modality working with the patient .
• Research into the use of digital technology to support mental health patients with lifestyle interventions is under way . Apps can benefit patients of all ages with exercise programs , smoking cessation and dietary interventions .
• Early intervention with lifestyle psychiatry can help to prevent a reduction in the patients ’ physical and psychological health over time .
• Social connection through lifestyle interventions supports longer term engagement and compliance .
• At present , the UK-based Smoke Free App , Sleepio , and the Nike Fitness apps offer support to the patient and are well regarded .
• There is considerable evidence for the use of targeted nutrient supplementation for mental health conditions and this is a field that is continually developing . Clarity on which specific nutrients support a mental health condition is still an area for continued research to ensure targeted treatment . There are , however , more studies into supplementation than into dietary interventions .
• Anti-inflammatory therapeutics may support a reduction in depression in patients with high inflammation .
• Screen time and social media use are areas that may influence mental health outcomes for patients , with connections to the sedentary behaviour associated with screen time and reduced exercise . Research suggests that social media may interfere with cognition , brain development and mental health .
Adrian : Welcome to FX Medicine , where we bring you the latest in evidencebased , integrative , functional , and complementary medicine . With us today is Dr Joseph Firth , UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Manchester . Dr Firth completed his PhD at the University of Manchester , and has a bachelor ' s degree in psychology . Dr Firth has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in international research journals , He has a strong interest in health behaviours , such as physical activity , diet , and sleep , and their relationship to mental illness and brain health . He ' s undertaking research examining how digital technology can influence mental health , and these are some of the topics we ' ll be discussing with him today .
Health behaviours such as what we eat , and how we sleep , and how physically active we are , and our social connections , are , as your work shows , very important factors in our mental health . But they are often overlooked when we treat children
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