What This Means
This research suggests that the way people with serious mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) live their daily lives is linked to how quickly their cells age. The study measured telomere length — protective caps on chromosomes that shorten as we age — in 410 people with severe mental disorders in Norway. Participants who had healthier lifestyles across six areas (diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol, substance use, and coffee consumption) had significantly longer telomeres than those with unhealthier lifestyles. Furthermore, the more unhealthy behaviors a person engaged in, the shorter their telomeres tended to be, suggesting a cumulative effect.
The difference in telomere length between the healthy and unhealthy lifestyle groups translated to approximately 6 years of biological age — meaning people with healthier habits had cells that appeared about 6 years younger at the cellular level. This effect was found even after accounting for factors like age, sex, medication use, education, and trauma history. The medium-to-large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.58) indicates this is a meaningful, not trivial, association.
This research suggests that lifestyle factors are not only important for physical health in the general population, but may also play a meaningful role in how quickly cells age in people living with serious psychiatric conditions. Because people with severe mental disorders often face elevated rates of physical health problems and premature mortality, findings like these highlight that health behaviors could be important clinical targets. Supporting people with mental illness in adopting healthier habits may have measurable biological benefits, potentially slowing cellular aging.