A high adherence to the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) has been associated with better cognition and a lower risk of dementia in some but not all studies. We measured adherence to MIND and its association with cognitive health in the UK Biobank (UKB). A MIND score was derived from 24 h diet recall questionnaires for 120,661 participants who completed at least one of seven self-administered cognitive function tests. In a subset of 78,663 participants aged 55+, diagnosis of dementia was determined by linked hospital and death records. Multivariable regression and Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) models were used to examine associations of MIND with cognitive ability and incident dementia. Higher adherence to MIND was associated with a small but significant worsening in performance on five of seven cognitive tests (p < 0.002). Associations were strongest among highly educated participants (p < 0.002 for MIND × education interaction). After a mean follow-up time of 10.5 years, 842 participants developed dementia. Overall, MIND adherence was not associated with incident dementia. An inverse association was observed among females (HR = 0.87 per score standard deviation (SD), p = 0.008) but not males (HR = 1.09, p = 0.11) (p = 0.008 for MIND × sex interaction). Similar associations with cognitive ability and dementia were observed for the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) dietary pattern. Associations were not modified by genetic susceptibility. In UKB, the MIND diet was not associated with better cognitive test scores and only with lower dementia risk in women.

The importance of fostering positive mental health (PMH) among young people is well established, yet the perspectives of youth on what PMH means to them remain largely underexplored. This qualitative study aimed to address this gap by examining how adolescents and young adults in a multi-ethnic Asian population understand and make sense of PMH. Data were collected from a multi-ethnic sample of youths aged 15 to 24 residing in Singapore, intentionally including youths with backgrounds such as delinquency and incomplete education to ensure diversity of experience. Data were gathered through 11 focus group discussions and 25 individual semi-structured interviews comprising 95 youths and analysed using hybrid inductive/deductive thematic analysis approach based on Braun and Clarke. From the participants’ accounts, five overarching themes of youth PMH emerged: (1) positive outlook and affectivity, capturing youths’ ability to embrace, experience, and generate pleasant emotions; (2) self-efficacy and personal goals, reflecting a sense of control over one’s choices and motivation to grow; (3) self-concept, encompassing self-awareness, positive self-identity, self-esteem, and self-love; (4) resilience and coping, relating to managing adversity effectively; and (5) social connection and interpersonal skills, highlighting the importance of forming and maintaining meaningful relationships. These themes suggest that young people view PMH as an active, dynamic state of being rather than a passive one. The inclusion of participants with diverse lived experiences enriches these findings and underscores the importance of capturing voices that are often excluded in mental health research.