Distinct Psychological Profiles are Associated with Lifestyle Behaviours –Anxiety, Depression and Perceived Stress are not Interchangeable

Abstract

Lifestyle behaviors are consistently linked to mental health in university students, but anxiety, depression, and perceived stress are often analyzed as if they were one construct, despite being distinct conditions. Whether lifestyle behaviors relate differently to each of these outcomes is not well established. This study examined the associations of sleep duration, screen time, and physical activity with anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, and tested whether these lifestyle behaviors show distinct patterns across the three outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 486 university students. Sleep duration, screen time, and physical activity were assessed by self-report. Anxiety, depression, and perceived stress were measured with the GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PSS, respectively. Three multiple linear regression models tested the independent contribution of each lifestyle behavior to each outcome. Screen time significantly predicted anxiety and perceived stress but not depression. Sleep duration was the only significant predictor of depression. Physical activity did not independently predict any outcome once the other lifestyle variables were controlled. Lifestyle behaviors were associated with specific outcomes rather than with psychological distress broadly. Anxiety, depression, and perceived stress should not be treated as interchangeable outcomes in lifestyle research. Each showed a different behavioral predictor, which suggests that interventions for student mental health may work better when matched to a specific outcome rather than applied as one general recommendation.