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Poor mental health might be just as detrimental to your longevity as a smoking habit, according to new research. There are currently over 400 million people who suffer from mental disorders, *it's estimated that they [impact 1 in every 4 people](https://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/)*. 

It's important to be mindful of your mental health [as newer research suggests that](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/25/mental-health-as-bad-for-life-expectancy-as-smoking-diabetes-report.html) it could greatly impact your longevity, poor mental health could be just as bad for your well-being as a smoking habit or a lack of physical activity. However, though mental health might have a strong connection to longevity, the recent report that comes from the [U.S. News & World Report and the *Aetna Foundation*](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/25/mental-health-as-bad-for-life-expectancy-as-smoking-diabetes-report.html), suggests that smoking or diabetes for example, has a much stronger correlation to reduced life expectancy.

Unfortunately, [mental health issues have reportedly](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315110908.htm) <b>increased drastically</b> over the last decade with young Americans especially, and researchers suggest that it might have something to do with the rise <b>of digital media</b>.

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Researchers have previously estimated that poor mental health <b>[might cost more than physical health problems](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180730120359.htm)</b> for businesses and remains one of the costliest forms of sickness in the United States. 

### What are some of the contributing factors to mental health? 
Researchers have previously linked mental well-being to [sunshine exposure](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161103141718.htm), childhood [lead exposure](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190123112330.htm), lack of exercise, back pain, [chronic childhood illnesses](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170512100407.htm), [gut bacteria](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190204114617.htm), [junk food](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190221111701.htm), and more. 

### What's been linked with an improvement in mental health? 
Studies have previously found that better mental health has been linked with <b>[exposure to greenery](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190226112426.htm)</b>, [ocean views](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160428132236.htm), happy [childhood memories](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181105091759.htm),  raw [fruit and vegetables](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180416101403.htm), even [lying to people less](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806093944.htm) has been shown to contribute to some improvement. 

This isn't the first time that a connection has been made between poor mental health and longevity, researchers have previously noted that those with mental health issues are likely to reap a <b>[reduced life expectancy](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120731201257.htm)</b> as a result. Thankfully, there are *a number of ways* that you can go about trying to improve your mental health today, and just because someone might be struggling with difficulty right now doesn't mean that it will always be that way for them; there is the possibility that they could find the strength to overcome it, by finding useful tools and help from others that can provide solutions to the problem.




Pics:
pixabay
<center>https://steemitimages.com/DQmaW48YhsgLS2fxaYkXCuon3tFpQEEh1tSUCU3jjJXv7RT/%40doitvoluntarily.gif</center>

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## [New Study Links Sugar To Mental Health Issues](https://steemit.com/sugar/@doitvoluntarily/new-study-links-sugar-to-mental-health-issues)