Professor Joseph Firth: Improving Mental Health Outcomes with Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine

The concepts of 'lifestyle psychiatry,' and 'nutritional psychiatry' are transforming the way we think about mental health and wellbeing. Professor Joseph Firth shares his influential work in this area and its implications for changing clinical practice and health policy. We also discuss the digital environment as a newly evolving lifestyle factor that influences mental health.   About our guest:   Dr. Firth is Professor of Psychology & Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K, with a PhD (Medicine) from The University of Manchester.   Internationally recognized as one of the most highly-cited scientists in Digital Medicine, Lifestyle Psychiatry and Mental Health, he was awarded the USERN Laureate in Social Sciences in 2022 and named Research.com's #1 "Rising Star" in 2023.   A five-time recipient of the Clarivate™ Highly Cited Researcher award (2020–2024), he has published over 300 articles with more than 45,000 citations (h-index = 90), including first-author papers in top journals like The BMJ and The Lancet Psychiatry.   His current research leverages digital technologies and lifestyle medicine to improve outcomes for people with mental illness, and he is currently leading a multi-million £ UKRI-funded project around the implementation of digital lifestyle interventions into youth mental healthcare.   Dr. Firth also leads the Lancet Commission on Physical Health in Mental Illness, and acts as expert advisor for the World Health Organization's "Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour".   He has also engaged extensively with traditional and online media, with his publications around lifestyle and nutritional approaches to mental illness receiving coverage from >700 news outlets (including Times, Forbes, CNN, etc.) along with televised interviews on Sky News and BBC television.   Guest websites and links:   https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/joseph.firth   Selection of our guest's publications: Brinsley J, O'Connor EJ, Singh B, et al. Effectiveness of Digital Lifestyle Interventions on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Well-Being: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Mar 20;27:e56975. Marx W, Lane M, Hockey M, et al. Diet and depression: exploring the biological mechanisms of action. Mol Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;26(1):134-150. Firth J, Gangwisch JE, Borisini A, Wootton RE, Mayer EA. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ. 2020 Jun 29;369:m2382. Firth J, Solmi M, Wootton RE, et al. A meta-review of "lifestyle psychiatry": the role of exercise, smoking, diet and sleep in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. World Psychiatry. 2020 Oct;19(3):360-380. Firth J, Teasdale SB, Allott K, et al. The efficacy and safety of nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental disorders: a meta-review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry. 2019 Oct;18(3):308-324. Firth J, Marx W, Dash S, et al. The Effects of Dietary Improvement on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychosom Med. 2019 Apr;81(3):265-280. Firth J, Veronese N, Cotter J, et al. What Is the Role of Dietary Inflammation in Severe Mental Illness? A Review of Observational and Experimental Findings. Front Psychiatry. 2019 May 15;10:350. Firth J, Stubbs B, Sarris J, et al. The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2017 Jul;47(9):1515-1527.