The Mind-Body connection: Mental health research with Briana Mezuk

"Our minds and bodies don't exist in separate worlds. Yet our healthcare systems often treat mental and physical health as completely different things," says Briana Mezuk, a leading researcher in mental health and aging at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Each year, nearly 50,000 Americans die by suicide — deaths that could be prevented with the right approach.

This video explores how Mezuk, a professor of Epidemiology, and her team study the critical connections between mental and physical health as we age, examining how social factors like economic stability, housing, and social support systems influence both. Rather than waiting for crisis moments, her research focuses on understanding life transitions — like developing health problems, retiring, or facing new limitations — as critical opportunities for intervention.

"True mental health promotion means addressing the causes through meaningful changes — improving food security, ensuring safe homes and schools, and creating supportive workplaces. Let's build communities where everyone has the opportunity to experience wellbeing, connectedness, and resilience throughout their lives."

Learn more about Briana Mezuk and researchers at Michigan Public Health who are protecting the health of all: https://myumi.ch/mRZGE

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