Almeida, Raquel Simões deRodrigues, AndreiaTavares, SofiaBarreto, João F.Marques, AntónioTrigueiro, Maria JoãoSimões de Almeida, RaquelBarreto, João FranciscoPereira da Silva Marques, António JoséTrigueiro, Maria João2025-11-032025-11-032025-02-23Simões de Almeida, R., Rodrigues, A., Tavares, S., Barreto, J. F., Marques, A., & Trigueiro, M. J. (2025). Mental Health and Lifestyle Factors Among Higher Education Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 253. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030253http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/30704This study aimed to describe the lifestyle factors and mental health levels among higher education students and identify their predictors. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 745 students was conducted with students from the Polytechnic of Porto using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE)-18, and FANTASTICO Lifestyle Questionnaire. The findings indicate that while students generally exhibited a positive lifestyle, they also experienced mild levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, nearing the moderate threshold. The DASS-21 Depression subscale was a significant predictor of both CORE-18 and FANTASTICO scores, underscoring the strong relationship between depression and overall well-being. Anxiety and stress were also predictors of CORE-18 scores, reflecting the negative impact of stress on students’ psychological well-being. Perceived health status and the male sex were associated with better outcomes on the DASS-21 and CORE-18, while the female sex predicted a healthier lifestyle, as measured by FANTASTICO. These findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions that address mental health and promote healthy lifestyle choices in educational settings.engMental healthLifestyleHigher educationYoung peopleWell-beingresearch article10.3390/bs150302532076-328X