(PS1-45) Exploring Links Between Evolutionary Mismatch and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students

Abstract Text: Topic: Does evolutionary mismatch in lifestyle correlate with depression and anxiety in undergraduates?

Title: Exploring Links Between Evolutionary Mismatch and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students

Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders worldwide and are large contributors to global disability (World Health Organization, 2017). They have been shown to significantly reduce functioning and quality of life (Hansson, 2002; Saris et al., 2017). Evolutionary mismatch theory (Riggs, 1993) posits that discrepancies in lifestyle between humans’ ancestral environment (i.e., hunter-gatherer societies) and contemporary environments have led to rising rates of noncommunicable diseases including depression and anxiety disorders. These increases in psychopathology may be due to factors such as increased sedentary living, addictive technologies, and an overabundance of high calorie, low nutritional quality foods (Riggs, 1993). However, studies exploring the connection between evolutionary mismatch and psychopathology have yet to be conducted. The Evolutionary Mismatch Lifestyle Scale (EMLS) is the first psychometrically sound measure of its kind to assess levels of mismatch in individuals based on lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, relationships, and social media use (O. J. et al., 2024). The current study aims to address this gap by exploring the correlations between anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively, and evolutionary mismatch, as measured by the EMLS, in undergraduate students.

Method: Participants will consist of approximately 250 undergraduates participating for course credit at Hofstra University. All participants will be at least 18 years of age and have varying levels of anxiety and/or depressive symptomatology.

After informed consent is obtained, participants will complete a series of self-report questionnaires during a virtual lab session. Questionnaires will include the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006), and the Evolutionary Mismatch Lifestyle Scale (EMLS; O. J. et al., 2024). These questionnaires will assess participants’ depression, anxiety, and evolutionary mismatch severity, respectively. Demographic information will also be collected.

Data Analysis Plan: Correlational analyses will be conducted to assess the association between overall EMLS with CES-D and GAD-7 scores, respectively. High correlations will reflect links between lifestyle mismatch and anxiety and depression symptomatology.