We all want to live long, happy lives and age gracefully. And, although factors like diet and exercise are often linked to healthy ageing, discussions around the impact of mental health on longevity are less frequent.
However, research shows that mental health and longevity are strongly connected – with some studies suggesting that good mental health can add years to your life.
With this in mind, we’ll look closer at the research into mental health and longevity, and explore what steps you can take to improve your mental wellbeing.
Note: This article mentions suicide. If you’re currently struggling with your mental health and need to talk to someone, the Samaritans helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 116 123. Someone non-judgemental and compassionate will listen and help you explore your feelings. You can also find information on other resources in our article, Where to turn when you need someone to talk to.
Mental health and longevity – what does the research say?

Generally speaking, research has found that people with mental health conditions have poorer physical health, more age-related diseases, and a lower average life expectancy.
For example, this study found that serious mental illness reduced life expectancy by 10 to 20 years. Another study revealed that people with bipolar disorder had an average life expectancy of 67 years – around 13 years less than the general population.
But what’s the explanation behind this link? Research into the relationship between mental health and longevity suggests several factors may be at play. We’ll explore some of these below…
Poor mental health may accelerate the ageing process
There’s evidence that poor mental health may speed up ageing. To understand this, it’s important to first acknowledge the difference between chronological and biological age.
While chronological age is based on when you were born, biological age refers to how old your body behaves and feels – something largely determined by the level of damage to body cells and tissues. Biological age can be influenced by various factors, including lifestyle, nutrition, general health, and genetics (for example, how quickly your body’s antioxidant defences kick in).
For this reason, a person’s chronological and biological age can differ. For example, a 50-year-old who doesn’t exercise, eats a highly processed diet, and has smoked for the past 10 years, is likely to have a biological age higher than 50.
Research also shows that mental health can play a role in biological age. For example, there’s evidence that people suffering from mental health issues – particularly depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder – carry blood markers that indicate a higher biological age than their chronological one.
Other research suggests that more general markers of poor mental wellbeing, such as stress and loneliness, can impact biological age, too. Take this study, which concluded that psychological issues, including loneliness, unhappiness, and hopelessness, may increase a person’s biological age more than smoking. Another study found that stress can cause inflammation and damage to DNA in cells, and accelerate ageing.
Research has also identified a link between chronic stress and shorter telomeres (protective caps on the end of DNA strands), which are thought to be markers of biological ageing. We explore this connection in greater depth in our article: Could telomere length be the key to healthier ageing?
However, the good news is that the body has mechanisms in place to repair damaged cells and tissues. This means that, once mental health-related factors like stress are removed, the body can begin repairing damage and slow down the ageing process. For example, several studies have found that stress-relieving activities, such as mindfulness, exercising, and getting good-quality sleep, can improve several markers associated with biological ageing.
Poor mental health can increase the risk of physical health conditions
Research has found that poor mental health can increase the risk of chronic health conditions, including cancer, dementia, and heart disease. This can partly be explained by the link between mental health and biological ageing, explored above.
But biological age aside, there are other factors at play. Most notably, poor mental health can make daily habits that are important for staying physically healthy significantly more difficult to maintain. These include exercising regularly, getting enough good-quality sleep, and eating a healthy, balanced diet – which many people with mental health issues struggle to do.
For example, this study noted the role of healthy habits in reducing the risk of health conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease. These habits were made more difficult by depressive symptoms such as fatigue.
In the same breath, research has found that mental health conditions can make people more susceptible to developing unhealthy habits, such as smoking. This study, for example, noted higher smoking rates among people with mental health conditions than those without.
Among other things, smoking can increase the risk of cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In fact, Cancer Research UK estimates that around 86% of lung cancer deaths in the UK are caused by tobacco smoking.
Mental health conditions can increase the risk of sudden death
Unfortunately, mental health conditions have been found to increase the risk of sudden death, including through suicide and fatal accidents.
One study found that mental illness increases the risk of suicide between five and 15 times compared with the general population. And another study linked nearly all diagnoses of mental health conditions with a higher risk of suicide.
Similarly, multiple studies have identified a link between mental health issues and a higher occurrence of fatal accidents. This study noted higher occurrences of injuries, recurrent injuries, and involvement in road traffic accidents among people with mental health conditions. Several factors are thought to contribute to this trend, including alcohol and substance abuse, which often occur alongside mental health conditions.
Other research also suggests that personality disorders, such as bipolar – which can cause symptoms like extreme mood swings and poor decision-making – carry the highest risk for accidents. For example, this study suggests that people with bipolar could be six times more likely to die from external causes, such as accidents and violence, compared to those without the condition. Again, the study attached the role of alcohol and substance abuse to some of this risk.
4 ways to boost your mental health

If you’ve been struggling with your mental health recently, you might find research into the link between mental health and longevity overwhelming, or even frightening. However, it’s important to remember that, with the right approach, it’s entirely possible to improve your mental wellbeing. We’ll explore some things that can help below.
For more personalised guidance, you might find the healthy mind section of our website useful. Here, we have specific guides to various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Introduce relaxation techniques
Research has found that introducing relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness, to your daily routine can positively impact physical and mental health. Mindfulness encourages you to focus on the present moment which, in turn, can be helpful for silencing disturbing or debilitating thoughts.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, mindfulness can help people understand their emotions better, regulate difficult thoughts, feel calmer, and improve relationships. As a result, studies have found that mindfulness-based approaches can significantly reduce symptoms of conditions like anxiety and depression.
Other relaxation techniques include stretching, journaling, and breathing exercises. For example, breathing exercises have been found to effectively reduce stress. Check out our article, 9 simple stress relieving activities, for more inspiration. Or why not sign up for an early morning stretch class on Rest Less Events?
Prioritise your physical health
Struggling with your mental health can be exhausting, and it’s not uncommon to feel too low in energy to take good care of yourself. However, looking after your physical health can make a world of difference to your mind.
Useful steps include things like cooking nutritious meals, staying active, spending time outside in nature, and getting enough good-quality sleep.
For example, this study identified a link between a nutritious diet and improved mental health. Another study noted that adults who exercise daily have around a 20% to 30% lower risk of developing depression and dementia.
If you’re unsure where to start, head over to the diet and nutrition, sleep and fatigue, and fitness and exercise sections of our website. Here, you’ll find everything from quick and healthy recipes to activity guides and ways to improve sleep.
Build a support network
It can sometimes feel difficult to open up to others if you’re struggling with your mental health. However, speaking to a trusted friend, family member, or a professional – such as your GP or via a helpline – can help you feel less alone. Remember, you don’t have to be ready to tell people everything for them to understand how you’re feeling.
Mind has a useful list of resources and organisations that offer support for people struggling with their mental health if you’d like to reach out.
Some people also find it useful to join a support group, where they can connect with others going through similar experiences. For further guidance, have a read of our article: Where to turn when you need someone to talk to.
Consider seeking professional support
While professional treatment for mental health can vary, it often involves a form of talking therapy. Common examples include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), which you can read more about on Mind’s website.
If you think you’d benefit from talking therapies, you can ask your GP to refer you. Or, if you’d prefer, you can refer yourself directly to NHS talking therapies without seeing a GP.
Final thoughts…
Research shows that mental health and longevity are closely linked and, in some cases, can mean the difference between years of life. While it’s normal to feel overwhelmed if you’ve been struggling recently, the good news is that there are plenty of ways to take control of and improve your mental wellbeing. Just remember to be kind to yourself and take things one step at a time.
For further reading, head over to the healthy mind section of our website. Here, you’ll find information on everything from mindfulness and personal development to counselling and therapy.
Has anything in this article surprised you? What steps are you currently taking to improve your mental health? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.