The use of flavonoid-rich foods to counteract the negative effects of maladaptive coping behaviours during stress

Mental health problems are highly prevalent, with approximately 1 in 4 of the UK population affected at some point in their life. Mental stress is a known contributor to poorer mental health, with reported associations between mental stress and depression. Unfortunately, during periods of stress, people often resort to maladaptive coping behaviours, which can exacerbate the consequences of stress. For example, during periods of stress, unhealthy behaviours such as increased high-fat food choices and lower levels of physical activity, are commonly reported. Therefore, this project aims to examine the impact of an unhealthy diet and reduced physical activity on psychological responses to mental stress, and explore the impact of strategies to counteract the negative effects of maladaptive coping behaviours during periods of stress.

Flavonoid-rich foods have been shown to be effective in improving psychological wellbeing, which could enhance cognitive resilience to mental stress, and thus improve mental health. Therefore, this project will examine the effects of flavonoids on psychological and physiological responses to a stress task in the context of maladaptive stress coping behaviours.

This PhD programme will consist of a series of experimental laboratory-based studies. First, the impact of commonly used maladaptive coping behaviours, such as high-fat diet and low physical activity, on the psychological and physiological responses to a validated laboratory-based mental stress task will be examined. Second, the influence of flavonoid-rich food intake on these responses will be explored. Thus, this PhD project will provide novel information on potential ways to counteract the negative impact of maladaptive coping behaviours during periods of mental stress.