Prevalence of Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviours in Children and Adolescents with Mental Disorders

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, such as sleep problems, low physical activity, poor diet, and excessive screen time, are common among children and adolescents. Lifestyle has a significant impact on children’s physical and mental health. This study examined the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents in psychiatric care, and how they vary by age, gender, and diagnosis. Parent-reported data on sleep, physical activity, diet (i.e., vegetables and fruit), and screen time from 4,633 children and adolescents (ages 0-18 years) referred for specialized psychiatric care were used. Parents reported high levels of unhealthy lifestyle habits among children with mental disorders. Adolescents (13-18 years) exhibited the unhealthiest lifestyles, with more sleep problems, less physical activity, more screen time and less fruit intake. Reported lifestyle habits were worse for girls than boys, with girls exhibited less physical activity, more sleeping problems, more screen time and less fruit intake. Children and adolescents with depression and anxiety disorders reported the least physical activity, most screen time and the least fruit and vegetable intake. Children and adolescents with trauma and stressor related disorders had the most sleep problems. To conclude, parents report high amounts of unhealthy lifestyle habits in their children with mental disorders. These unhealthy lifestyle habits appeared to be highly prevalent in this group of children compared to those in the normative population. Given the high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle in this clinical population of children, it is crucial to place greater emphasis on improving lifestyle interventions within psychiatric care.