About the project

Half of all lifetime mental health conditions emerge by mid-adolescence, therefore it is critical to address mental health as early as possible to mitigate long-term effects into adulthood. Targeting modifiable health behaviours (such as diet, sleep, physical activity, alcohol and drug use, smoking/vaping, and screen-time) can promote mental well-being in young people. However, there is limited research linking multiple health behaviours and mental well-being across development. It is important to assess multiple health behaviours (‘health lifestyles’) because these behaviours tend to cluster, rather than occur in isolation. Health lifestyles are influenced by both structural (e.g. social circumstances) and individual factors (e.g. individual agency). Adolescence is an important stage of development where habits are formed that can influence trajectories into adulthood. Therefore, examining health behaviours and mental well-being in youth is important for well-being in later life.

Critically, there is little research assessing multiple health behaviours in relation to mental health with New Zealand young people. This is important because youth mental health needs have increased in recent years, particularly for rangatahi Māori and Pacific youth. Therefore, this study plans to assess how health behaviours cluster together and how these clusters may impact young people’s mental well-being over time. Overall, our proposed research will identify combinations of health behaviours that promote positive development, rather than solely identifying risk factors for poor mental health. Results could be used to inform policy to improve adolescent well-being in Aotearoa, such as multi-faceted health behaviour interventions.

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Start date: 1/12/2024