The nine hallmarks of wellbeing and mental health as a watershed framework for resilient living and healthspan optimization

Mental health and wellbeing are core components of a healthy life. However, emotional stress and mental health problems are on the rise through societies and cause a significant burden of suffering. In the following, we present our watershed framework for optimizing wellbeing and mental health through lifestyle interventions. Emerging evidence also shows that mental health is not only a determinant of quality of life but a powerful driver of longevity, influencing biological aging processes, disease vulnerability, and overall healthspan. This framework is based on the recognition that mental health is comprised of biological, psychological, and social factors, and that the factors have interdependent relationships amongst them, so that positive changes in one of them can have cascading effects on the others, with the potential to improve the psychological capital of an individual. Our framework consists on nine elements that we consider as hallmarks of mental health and wellbeing, and these hallmarks are structured in three interdependent layers. The first layer is formed by foundational factors which are fundamental for wellbeing and mental health, and include circadian rhythms; sleep recovery along with social connections. The second layer is named wellbeing catalysts and includes elements of wellbeing that can have powerful positive effects on mental health, and include stress resilience, vitality, cardiovascular health, immune health, and the gut-brain axis. The third layer is named as thriving factors and it consists of cognitive performance and positive emotions, which are the elements that are most often associated with a thriving mind. In our framework, we highlight the interactions between the factors and we provide a roadmap to structure comprehensive lifestyle interventions aimed at boosting mental health and wellbeing. Strengthening mental health and wellbeing addresses key biological and behavioral determinants of healthy aging, which are increasingly recognized as critical modulators of longevity trajectories.